


(she's both) dreamer and dream

by tamsinb



Series: dreamer and dream [1]
Category: Blaseball (Video Game)
Genre: Baltimore Crabs (Blaseball Team), Chicago Firefighters (Blaseball Team), Everyone Is Gay, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Kissing, Multi, Philosophy, Pining, Season 8, Sharing a Bed, Social Anxiety
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-11-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:07:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 18,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26631097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tamsinb/pseuds/tamsinb
Summary: A series that won't end.A batter who won't leave the plate.A pitcher who finds this all very annoying.The eye of Rivers Rosa is caught by a certain Crabs batter who ends up being a bit... stranger than appearances suggest.
Relationships: Sutton Dreamy/Rivers Rosa, Tillman Henderson/Declan Suzanne
Series: dreamer and dream [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1988245
Comments: 6
Kudos: 44
Collections: We Are Fanwork Creators





	1. contact

* * *

_"please turn the pages for me_

_you seem so free_

_you know i’m barely_

_barely…”_

_"contact”, big thief_

* * *

The ball flew off the keen blade of the axe, and in the span of a blink thunked satisfyingly in the catcher’s mitt.

“Game over! Firefighters win 3-2.”

Rivers Rosa relaxed on the mound, letting her axe arm drop for the first time in nine innings. It was strange, she thought. By all rights that should’ve been an easy pitch for any batter to hit, straight down the plate and not too fast. As soon as it had left her axe she’d been preparing herself for the jeers of shame. Instead, it passed over the plate without incident. The batter hadn’t swung at all.

Had she even been looking?

***

“Just let it go, Rosa!”

Her teammate Lou was the only other person in the Firefighters dugout so long after the game. Lou Roseheart was a good fielder, a better friend, and had the most tolerance on the team for Rosa’s frequent sulking sessions.

Her shadow was a piece of work though.

Rivers turned behind her to confirm that, in fact, Lou’s shadow was giving her own bunny ears with two fingers. She shooed it away with a hand and it slunk back across the ground to take its place behind Lou.

“Real mature.”

“Sorry,” laughed Lou, “it’s just trying to cheer you up!”

“She hasn’t moved.”

“Hm?”

Lou turned to look where Rivers was glaring: directly at the batter, still standing at the plate, goggles hanging around her neck, stock still in the same position she’d been in when the game had ended an hour ago.

Rivers spit a peanut shell on the ground beside her. “What’s her name anyway?”

Lou gave her a look. “We’ve been in the same division as the Crabs for like three seasons now, you’re telling me you don’t know their players?”

Things had been pretty hectic since their team had won the championship, and being placed in the same division as the Crabs certainly didn’t make things easier. Rivers wondered sarcastically if they knew how hard their penchant for stealing bases made her life as a pitcher. When your only goal was to get in and out, having a parade of half-shelled sprinters scuttling around behind your back was… annoying, to say the least.

Rivers spat out the other half of her shell.

“Why bother?” she responded. “Not like it matters when I’m pitching to them.”

Lou sighed. “You know Rosa, maybe you’d have more fun if you didn’t insist on having such a downer attitude about everything.”

“Just tell me her name, Lou.”

“Okay, geez! No need to get worked up over it. Dreamy. Sutton Dreamy.”

Hm. She thought she’d heard the name once or twice. She narrowed her eyes.

“What’re you staring at her like that for?” said Lou.

“Ugh. Just look at her. She’s so...”

Annoying. Aggravating. Indifferent. Rivers fumbled for a word. She scrutinized Dreamy. Her hair floated around her head in a cloud seemingly untouched by gravity. Her lips were slightly parted, a thin gap between the front two teeth showing slightly through. Unused night vision goggles hung around her neck (Rivers heard they didn’t actually help that much). Her shirt was parted to show a wide swath of the mesh shirt underneath, tucked into her baggy baseball pants.

“She’s so-”

“Hot?” offered Lou.

“HOT! I mean God _DAMN"_ agreed Rosa. Now she remembered where she’d heard the name. Sutton Dreamy, voted “Miss Blaseball” at least three separate times. Jessica Telephone had the fanbase, and an arresting, jocular charm. Boyfriend Monreal had an emotional intelligence that bordered on the preternatural. But Sutton?

Well. There was just something about the girl.

“Want me to talk to her for you?” grinned Lou.

“WH- What?? Her? Me? Why would you even-”

“Quiet down, you’re making a scene.” Rivers took a breath and felt a burning rise to her cheeks. It tinged her dark complexion a slight red. She turned to Lou, suddenly uncomfortable holding her gaze on the still-motionless Dreamy.

“What in the world makes you think I would want that?”

“Rosa, you’ve been staring at her for more than an hour.”

“I’m trying to figure out why she’s still out there!”

“Granted, that is weird. But the point remains that you have the hots for her.”

“Do not!” pouted Rosa. “I have NO hots for her, in fact I find her incredibly annoying. I mean, who does she think she is, standing out there like she couldn’t care less the whole team’s depending on her? The least she could do would be to chase a pitch every once in a while or hell even _look_ at one, I mean granted half the time you can’t even tell anymore because of those goggles-”

“Rosa, honey,” said Lou. “I know you. And I know that when you don’t want to process an emotion you just label it as ‘annoying’ and move on.”

“I do not! God, you can be so annoying sometimes.”

Lou smirked at her, and Lou’s shadow held its hand to its mouth and snickered.

“Oh shut up, that is not-”

“I need to speak to you.”

A sudden voice from the dark of the Firefighters dugout caused the three of them - Rivers, Lou, and Lou’s shadow - to jump startled to their feet. There, in the shade cast by the sun’s lengthening rays by the dugout overhang, illuminated faintly by a light that had no discernable source, was Sutton Dreamy.

Rosa glanced back to the field. It was empty.

“How’d she get in here?” said Lou out of the side of her mouth. The door to the dugout was behind them, so there was no way Dreamy could’ve gotten past.

“Thank you for reaching out to me,” said Sutton, striding towards them. “Your case seems difficult but I am honorbound to accept.”

Rivers blinked. Sutton was looking at her. “M- me? But I didn’t-”

Sutton shook her head and stopped close, far too close in front of Rosa. “Not you,” she said. She spoke confidently and without variation in tone or pitch. “The you within you.”

“H- huh?” stammered Rosa. Dreamy was really close to her now, gazing slightly down at her with a gaze focused at a point that felt slightly behind her head.

“You mean like, her spirit?” offered Lou.

“No. But if it helps, yes.” Dreamy refocused on the spot behind - or maybe slightly above Rosa. “Fear not. I heard your somnic cry and am offering my stewardship. Now, give me your hands.”

“What!?” yelped Rivers. “Hold on a second, I didn’t cry or reach out or anything, I just-”

Sutton shook her head. “I heard it all the way from the plate. Quite the Kolm-complex signal but my backlogs are clear now and I need your hands to commence guidance.”

Rivers shot a glance at Lou as if to say _What is this girl TALKING about?_

Lou returned a glance saying _I don’t know, but you get to hold hands with a pretty girl?_

Rivers rolled her eyes. Some help. She gulped.

_Well, if it’ll get her to go away…_

She held out her hands and Sutton grabbed them with her own. They were warm, which Rosa guessed made sense, seeing as she’d been out in the non-eclipsed sun for a while. Slender too, so unlike her own hands, and tipped with iridescent purple lacquer.

“You have a preoccupation, you see. And your mind’s focal point prepends destiny.” Her words started to drive forward, carrying Rivers away with their force. She was close enough that her scent filtered up - faint lavender and vanilla. How was it so sweet after nine innings?

“But don’t worry. All things can be averted. I just have to-” For the first time, Sutton faltered, wincing and dropping her eyes to meet Rosa’s, a look of worry passing her features. Her eyes were an endless brown: someone’s favorite coffee flavor, and just as warm. And for a moment Rosa felt the purely irrational compulsion to take the girl in her arms and protect her from all harm, make sure that such a dismal face never crossed her features again.

Instead, she cleared her throat slightly. “Um, you don’t really have to worry about it that much.”

“But, when I heard you call-”

“Not sure what you heard, but I’m fine, see?” She flashed Sutton a smile as if to prove her point. The girl seemed unconvinced but her face brightened a bit. Rosa flipped her hands over to grab Sutton’s and a silence unburdened by prophecy fell over the dugout.

“Hey, Sutton? You in there?” The reverie was broken by the voice of a pale red-haired man poking his head around the dugout entrance.

“Kennedy.” Dreamy pulled her hands away, leaving Rosa’s hanging in air.

“What’re you doing in here? Come on, we need your help loading up Axel and Nagomi.” Now addressing Lou and Rivers: “Sorry about her, she tends to go where she wants.”

“Oh, no problem at all,” said Lou. “She was just trying to, um. Help us, I think?”

“Yeah, she’ll do that.” Kennedy Loser stepped into the dugout, tripped slightly on the last step, recovered, and rubbed the back of his head. “Hope it wasn’t too much of a bother.”

He stepped around Lou and Rosa with an ‘ope’ and laid a hand on Sutton’s shoulder. His exceedingly normal and more than a bit awkward presence served to diffuse the tension in the room as Sutton Dreamy walked out ahead of him.

“Um,” she said, without turning around. “Forget what I said. It turns out you are fine, actually. Like you said. My mistake.”

“N- no problem…” said Rivers Rosa, still very much unconvinced.

“Good luck in game two!” yelled Kennedy behind him with a wave. And with that, the two Crabs were gone, leaving only their absence behind.

“Whew. Definitely a bit of an oddball, that one. Well, I guess it takes all kinds, huh? Especially in a splort like this. Right, Rosa?”

“H- huh?” She hadn’t really been listening.

“Um. Rosa?”

“W- what is it?”

“You can put your hands down now. It’s kinda weird.”

She realized she’d been holding her hands exactly where they’d been and flung them to her sides, ducking her head behind the brim of her ballcap to try and hide the blush running rampant over her face.

“Still, it seems like you two hit it off pretty well,” said Lou, grin growing across her face.

“I mean, I guess. Not really sure what she wanted.” Rosa bent over to pick up her axe.

“Remember though, they’re still the enemy! Can’t let a little crush get in the way of your pitching- Woah!”

Lou stepped nimbly backwards, dodging the swing of the axe.

“Careful with that thing Rosa! You could’ve killed me!”

“Whaaat? No way…” smiled Rosa, sweetly. “You probably would’ve lived…”

“You’re bad news, you know that?” said Lou, catching her breath.

“Yeah, yeah. Come on, let’s catch up with everyone else.” She swung the axe over her shoulder and stepped out of the dugout as Lou grabbed her bag. She stepped into the evening light and looked at the plate where Sutton had been for so long, now crisscrossed by the shadow pattern of chain link fences.

It was going to be a long series.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first fic that I've posted (on here) so... hope I didn't mess anything up too badly! Never expected me doing this but hey, life comes at you fast.
> 
> I'd definitely be open to writing more of this if it seems like people are into it so... just let me know I guess!
> 
> Oh, and I should acknowledge Big Thief's album 'UFOF' for providing some theming and structural trappings, idk buy it on Bandcamp or something ;)


	2. convenience

* * *

_“just like a bad dream_

_you’ll disappear...”_

_"UFOF”, big thief_

* * *

She was back on the mound again and the fact that she was about to throw a perfect game should have been her first clue that she’d already come unstuck from reality. Not that she wasn’t a good pitcher - she considered herself well above average, all speed with an underrated slider. But Blaseball being as it was, the level of consistency needed to go 9 innings without prolonging any batter’s appearance past the plate was nearly unheard of.

And yet, despite these protestations there she was, facing the final shapeless formless batter of the shapeless formless opposing team. Her veins sung with exhilaration and - was that pride? _Couldn’t be me,_ she thought wryly. She let loose her final pitch from her axe, feeling its handle ring with the certainty of a 27th batter out.

She waited for the sounds of adulation but they never came. Nor did the sound of the ball hitting the catcher’s mitt. She looked to see the ball, frozen in midair directly over home plate. The shapeless formless crowd jeered. 

“What are you doing, Rosa?” yelled one of her shapeless formless teammates. “You didn’t throw it hard enough to make it past the plate!”

The shapeless formless batter chuckled and stepped easily up to the plate and smacked the shapeless formless ball effortlessly over the fence.

“No…” pleaded Rivers. “I…”

The jeers from the crowd rose in intensity as the batter tossed down its bat to move around the bases. Then another followed, two then four then eight until a shapeless formless parade was moving around the blasepath. Her lead was cut then tied then overtaken as the crowd’s cries of Shame lifted around the shapeless formless stadium. The batters became a solid nebulous entity and got faster and faster until they were a tornado and shapeless formless dirt picked up from around the field trapping Rivers and melding with the cries of Shame and both fueled each other commensurate in intensity as she pleaded for it to stop to stop to stop

* * *

“Rosa?”

“No… I…”

“Rosa!”

She snapped awake, unspent tension aurating from her body like so much steam. She got her bearings: back corner of the dugout, team filing back in. Some of the crowd in the Firehouse were still expressing discontent with some umpire’s decision, but most were in the process of filing out. Her team was making its way back into the dugout, heads lowered, lowest among them that of Kennedy Rodgers, the pitcher who followed her in the rotation. And Lou was standing in front of her, having just prodded her awake.

“You okay there?” asked Lou. “If your vibes got any worse you could bring the whole team down with you.”

“I’m fine,” she said, mopping some sweat from her face. “Just a bad dream.”

***

The long asphalt road stretched in front of Rivers Rosa as she made her way through a sparse suburban area of Chicago, where she was from. Chicago was large, contained multitudes, et cetera, and you could find yourself without meaning to crossing from city to mountain to blighted wasteland, just about any biome you could imagine. It just so happened that a few minutes’ walk from the stadium was a long streetlight-lit road that led to a convenience store. And some Flunyuns would _really_ hit the spot right about now.

It hadn’t been her first nightmare, nor her first time falling asleep in the dugout when she was out for a game. But it was the first time both had happened at once, and she couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed for putting on a display, especially in front of Lou.

Her thoughts drifted idly back to the dream as she walked. There had been something… familiar about it. Déjà vu? Or maybe she’d just had that dream before. That could happen, right?

 _The you within you._ An echo of words Rosa had been trying particularly hard not to remember played through her head. _I heard your somnic cry…_ Sutton couldn’t have been talking about this, could she?

No, no of course not. Rosa shook her head and sighed. There was no way Sutton knew she was having nightmares, she was just being paranoid, creeped out by their off-putting encounter. Or, or maybe she’d heard about them from someone else? Which would mean that someone snitched on her, but gossip ran rampant through Blaseball, so it wasn’t the most far-fetched idea.

“Still, you’d think they’d have something better to talk about…”

 _"OH_ my god, I _KNOW._ right?” came a voice from off the side of the road. Rosa turned to look just in time to see a short figure with a back-turned hat spin around the pole of a streetlight musical-style and dismount with shaky footing a few feet to her side. The fox perched on his shoulder smoothed his fur out as the other popped a wad of bubblegum in his mouth.

“It’s like, of _COURSE_ I understand why people would _WANT_ to talk about the Tilly-Tot combination, I mean, the way I drew that walk? _CALCULATED._ The way I stole second? _FLEETFOOTED._ And the way Tot drove me in? Um, hey Tot, what adjective do you want me to use?”

The fox on his shoulder mewled.

“Oh my _GOD. PERFECT_ adjective, dude. This guy’s _CRAZY_ with adjectives!”

Rivers knew about these two, and had predictably strong feelings about one: Tillman Henderson and Tot Fox. The fuckboy and the fox. One with a social media presence so toxic it would be easier to count the tweets he HADN’T gotten fined for. The other, a fox. But a seemingly intelligent, well-mannered fox, which left her wondering just why these two seemed to be hanging out together so naturally. Perhaps it was an extension of their connection on the field: the winning run in the last game had in fact been Tot driving in Tillman. The fact that Tillman was actually a competent player made him even more annoying in Rivers’ book.

“But like, I’m a human being, right? All this _FAME_ and _STARDOM,_ constant paparazzi? It’s so _DRAINING._ Sometimes I wish I could go back to my life as a simple farmhand…”

She couldn’t help herself. “Tillman, you posed for pictures for a full twenty minutes after you scored. No one even wanted any.”

“Yes, yes, I agree,” sighed Tillman, reaching up to put his hand on her shoulder. “I _AM_ an athlete unappreciated in my own time. If only there were some way to get the recognition we both agree I deserve…”

“Yip!” said Tot Fox.

“Don’t touch me,” growled Rosa. Tillman, to his credit, wisely withdrew. “What are you doing here, anyway?”

Tillman shrugged. “Picking up snacks. Declan said there was a convenience store this way.”

Declan Suzanne. She should’ve known. Only one person on her team would be clueless enough to give _Tillman Henderson_ directions to her usual post-game haunt, and it was that dweeb. Rosa ranked him just behind Tillman in terms of annoyance, if only because he at least had the decency to seem a bit self-conscious about being such a loser.

“Snacks, huh?” said Rosa, turning to continue down the road. “What’s the occasion.”

“Ohhhh, nothing _SPECIAL,"_ grinned Tillman, hurrying to catch up with her. “It’s just that Deckie has been _BEGGING_ to get his butt kicked in Mlelee, and I figured it was about time I obliged him.”

“Mwerp,” agreed Tot from Tillman’s shoulder.

“Should’ve figured you two would get along…”

They continued down the road for a while, Tillman expositing about all the ways he would triumph over Declan once the snacks were acquired and taken to his house. Apparently Declan had some sort of special TV for playing Mlelee. Rosa wondered why you couldn’t just use a normal TV, but caught herself before she asked.

“You _KNOW,_ Rosie...”

“Don’t call me that.”

“You _KNOW,_ Riv…”

“Or that.”

“You _KNOW,_ Patapsco…”

“What in the world is that?”

“It’s a river in Baltimore.”

“You got a death wish?”

Tillman held his hands up. “Fine, fine. Anyway, _RIVERS._ You know, it’s an open invitation. Bring your own snacks and all that, hang out with the two coolest guys around? Whaddya say?”

Rosa scoffed. “Game with you and Declan? Please, I’d rather be incinerated.”

“Oh, come on, don’t be that way…”

“Mew,” agreed Tot.

“Why in the world would I-”

“Hey! Hey, you all! C- Come on, wait up!”

The group turned to see Declan Suzanne, cat ear headphones glowing dimly in the dark, foam sword strapped threatlessly to his back, jogging up the street towards them as fast as his meager stamina would allow. And with him was-

Oh.

Oh _HECK_ no.

“Oh _HEY_ Dreamboat!” said Tillman, stepping forward past the panting Declan to greet Sutton Dreamy. He reached out his hand in a fist and the two performed an elaborate handshake in greeting, her face never changing as her hair blended into the night air around her.

Declan looked up at Rosa from his doubled-over position. “We… we thought you would wait up for us…” he choked out.

“I didn’t really know you were coming, Declan,” said Rosa.

“Oh _YEAH,_ uh, my bad. I sorta got tired of waiting.” Tillman turned away from Sutton and Rosa could’ve sworn the girl gave her the briefest of glances.

Declan noticed the object of Rosa's gaze and decided to explain. “Well, she was uh, hanging around the dugout, so you know, I tried to figure out what she wanted, but I didn’t really get it, so I decided to invite her along! Isn’t that great!”

“I love video games,” said an expressionless Sutton.

“Hey. Tillman,” mumbled Rosa as he walked past her.

“Yeah?”

“That invite still open?”

* * *

“All _RIGHT_ everyone. Remember this is an _IN AND OUT_ operation. Me and Tot are on _SODA_ duty because I have impeccable soda taste. Declan, get as much beer as you can carry. As _CHEAP_ as possible. And Rivers and Sutton… y’all are on _JUNK FOOD_ detail, aight?” He made direct eye contact with Rosa. “Think you’re _up for it?"_

Rosa blushed and turned away. They put their hands (and paws) in the middle and Tillman yelled “3, 2, 1… Break!” and the other three scampered into the store. Well. At least they were having fun.

“After you,” directed Sutton, and Rosa nodded and obliged, feeling the cool air surround her as Sutton closed the door behind them. As they moved together towards the snack aisles Rosa asked herself not for the first time how it ended up like this.

***

It had started when Tillman noticed Rosa’s unwillingness to interact with or look at Dreamy, and maybe her generally tense demeanor. A rookie mistake, really, but then she _was_ (as much as she hated to admit it) a bit of a rookie when it came to these things.

Tillman had put two and two together and sidled casually over to her and eased her away from the rest of the group, talking in an uncharacteristically discrete tone.

“Sooooooo… Miss Dreamy, eh?”

“What about her.”

“Oh come on, don’t play dumb. She’s your type, huh?”

Rivers shrugged. “No big deal, I imagine she’s everyone’s type.”

“Pssht, as if. Got your counterexample right here.” He indicated himself with his thumbs and Rivers raised her eyebrows.

“Oh yeah?”

“Well, yeah, I mean, can’t say anyone’s really my _type._ And even if you’re just talking like, cuddling, it’d still be way better with a dude. Get it?”

She guessed she did. “Hm. Good to know?”

“Yeah, yeah, I know I’m interesting, but right now we’ve got bigger crabs in the pot. Anyway you’ve got the hots for her, yeah?”

“W- well, I wouldn’t say-”

“Cool so that’s a yes.”

Rivers opened and closed her mouth in vain.

“You made a good first impression, you know. Heard about your little… rendezvous.” He horribly mispronounced the last word.

“Yeah?” perked up Rivers. “Did, did she like, talk about me?”

“Nah, not like that,” said Tillman in a too-glib way that crushed Rivers’ spirit into the asphalt. “But, you know, Loser said it looked like the two of you were having a… conversation, so to speak.”

“If you can call it that. Why, what’s the big deal?”

Tillman gave her a side eye. “I’m _saying_ 98% of that girl’s suitors get shot down _way_ before that point. Heck, it doesn’t even seem like she knows most other people exist.”

Rivers chanced a look over her shoulder to see Declan, Tot wrapped around his neck, desperately trying to engage Dreamy in conversation, only to have her continue to walk forward without looking or seeming to even process that someone was attempting to communicate.

“I see what you mean.”

“I wouldn’t say this to just anyone, Rosa, but I think you’ve actually got a chance. And _SO."_ He made a weird gesture with his hands. “I would like to _GRACIOUSLY_ offer you the Tilly Hendy Official Wingdude Treatment.”

Rivers was unimpressed. “The what now.”

“I’m _saying_ I’m going to get you two to hook up.”

She hoped the caustic expression she was forcing to her face covered her blush.

“Ah, but before you get the wrong idea,” continued Tillman, “my services don’t come free. I _will_ require something in exchange.” A wicked smile came to his face and Rivers’ eyes narrowed.

“And what would that be.”

“Put in a good word with Declan for me?”

Rivers paused for a long moment and then rolled her eyes harder than she ever had before.

***

“These look defective,” said Sutton, snapping Rivers back to the present.

“Hm?”

“Part of them is missing.” She was holding a bag of peach rings.

“No, they’re uh. They’re peach rings. As in, _rings._ As in, they’re supposed to be like that…”

“Oh. I see. And what do they taste like?”

“Like… peach?” Rivers frowned. “But like, artificial peach, that one flavor. Some people really hate it, I think it’s okay.”

“And what does _that_ taste like?”

“Like… like peach but bad and wrong.” She didn’t look like she understood. “You do know what a peach tastes like, right?”

“Explain it to me.”

“Explain… what it tastes like?” Rivers felt a headache coming on. “You- well, I can’t really explain it to you if you haven’t like, tasted it before, you know? It’s like, philosophy, or something…”

Sutton looked at her expectantly and Rivers sighed. There was nothing she could do against those eyes.

“Ok, it’s like. You know when you go through a car wash and the soap suds are pink and orange, and then water rinses them off and they sort of blend together? It tastes like that.”

Sutton was quiet for a few moments and then closed her eyes, nodding. “I see. Thank you, I understand perfectly.”

Rivers wasn’t even sure _she_ understood. But Sutton seemed… happy, after a fashion, so she smiled. “Good, glad you get it.”

“Yes, I don’t think I’d like these after all,” said Sutton, replacing the candy.

“Why don’t I pick out the snacks? You can… carry them.”

Sutton nodded sagely. “Specialization is the cornerstone of modern economy.”

“Good, glad you agree.”

She bent down and started scanning the shelves. First things first.

“Oh cool, they have the spicy Flunyuns,” she said aimlessly. “They used to have like a weird steakhouse flavor here, but I guess they don’t anymore.”

“Are you lacking?”

“Hm? Oh, nah, I never really liked them. I’ll just go with the original, the spicy ones kinda tear your mouth up.”

Sutton made some mouth sound which Rivers interpreted as sympathy. It was weird, she thought, it was almost becoming… natural to hold a conversation with her. Rivers wondered which one of them that said more about, and if this meant that she’d finally lost it for good. But it felt nice and it made her happy so she figured if this is what losing your grip on reality was like it might be all right.

Rivers tossed the Flunyuns to Sutton and squatted down to continue browsing. “So, you and Tillman seem like you get along.” She was thinking of the handshake those two had exchanged earlier.

Sutton thought and then nodded. “I suppose we do. He can be entertaining, but… difficult to talk to.”

“How do you mean?”

“He’s kind of. Weird.”

Rivers had no choice but to laugh hearing that from her. “Yeah,” she said, tossing over some bag of chips or another, “He sure is. Oh, you met Declan too, right?”

Sutton looked puzzled.

“The one who walked over here with you? Cat ear headphones? Trying to grow a beard and it’s not working?”

“I have met no such person in the range of my existence.”

Rivers chuckled. She figured that was about the right reaction to Declan.

“Anyway, he said he found you hanging around our dugout, right? What’s up?”

“Oh, that.” Was that what Sutton looked like when she was embarrassed? “I. Was intending to make my apologies to you.”

“Yeah?” she said, forcibly nonchalant. “What for, I think we’re cool.”

“Cool though we may be. Kennedy thought it would be a, nice gesture. After intruding.”

"So you came by the dugout? You must’ve just missed me, I was out of there pretty quick.”

Sutton nodded. “And so I resolved to wait.”

“Wait? Like, until the next game? Like, all night?”

“But someone found me and told me Tillman was looking for you.”

“Tillman was _looking_ for me?” A sense of dread stabbed at Rivers and she wondered just how deep in that boy’s scheme she already was. She made a mental note that he might be more dangerous than appearances suggested.

“And so I followed someone to get to where you were, and then followed you a while after that, and now we are here.”

“You followed _Declan."_

“Who?”

“Right.” Rivers’ headache showed no signs of breaking. “Well, anyway, that should be enough snacks, let’s go-”

“Wait. I still haven’t…”

“What, apologized? Oh, don’t worry about it, no need.”

“But. I worry I may have scared you. Kennedy-”

“Hey, don’t worry about what he said.” Rivers stood and clapped a hand on the outside of Sutton’s upper arm. “I’m fine, remember, like I said! Nothing to worry about.” She beamed her best cocksure smile and Sutton raised her eyes to meet Rivers’ gaze for one eternal moment and then turned away.

“I am glad. I will. Purchase these now.” Sutton pushed past, scurrying away with bags in both arms. Rivers waited until she was out of sight and then doubled over, holding her now bright red face in both hands.

 _Oh my god oh my god oh my god I can’t believe I DID that!_ She’d never been that bold before and she had no idea if she’d been able to hold it together well enough to sell it. But, even if nothing else, she’d gained one thing from this.

 _She doesn’t look it but… she’s kinda jacked, huh?_ Rivers’ face reached new heights of crimson as she pulled her ballcap down over as much of her face as it could cover.

***

The five of them reconvened outside the store and Rivers did her best to avoid Tillman’s pointed eyebrow raising.

“My apartment’s like, uh, well it’s close enough to here, we could just walk it,” said Declan.

“Mwerp,” agreed Tot.

“Oh _KAY,_ everyone ready?” said Tillman, hiking up his bags. Wait a minute, how did he end up holding the snack bags when she was holding all the beer?

The others murmured agreement and started to head out and that was when a premonition no less ominous for its mundanity appeared before Rivers: a vision of her, sitting in Declan’s apartment by herself, sipping whatever shitty beer he’d bought, while two crabs, her worst teammate, and her (apparently) crush played video games without her. She felt the familiar pangs of social anxiety begin to grip at her heart and she decided that no, she would not let it go down like this. She’d decided a long time ago that she was done with social gatherings in which everyone else was better friends with each other than they were with her.

“H- Hold on!” she said, catching the others’ attention before they set off. “I uh, I need to make a phone call.”

She set the beer on the ground and ducked around the side of the store. The tone of a familiar number played as she dialed and put the phone to her ear.

“Come on, pick up…”

The phone connected and a voice no less resonant through the compression came over the line.

“Hello, you’ve reached the number of Loucinde Roseheart, just who may I say is calling?”

“Lou!! Listen-”

“Rosa, what’s up?”

Rivers sighed into the receiver. “Look, I need to call in a favor.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Several advanced techniques of lesbianism on display in this one, folks. It also turned out a lot longer than I expected lmao...
> 
> Thanks to everyone who's told me they liked the first part! I've got... a couple ideas, so this'll probably keep going for a bit. No promises about when chapters will come out though. Oh, and I hoped everyone liked Tillman, he was _inordinately_ fun to write for. I'll do my best to keep this from becoming a Tillyfic but hey, if it happens, it happens.


	3. conclave

* * *

_“still the question sings_

_like saturn’s rings_

_maybe she knows_

_and she won’t tell...”_

_\- “cattails”, big thief_

* * *

**_SCENE 1:_ ** _The Apartment of DECLAN SUZANNE, not long before midnight._

_Party trash fills the empty spaces of a small apartment that would be cozy with less people. A rhythm has been reached. An abandoned MLELEE setup has its background music drowned out by DECLAN’S POOR MUSIC TASTE. SUTTON DREAMY reclines on RIVERS ROSA’s shins as RIVERS sits with back to couch, legs folded up. TILLMAN HENDERSON and DECLAN make out on a FORMERLY SINGLE-OCCUPANCY CHAIR. TOT FOX and LOU ROSEHEART share a JOINT with the kitchen fan on._

ROSA _(too loudly)_ : Okay, so you know how sometimes you’re looking forward to a delivery, right? And, and you wait all day on your phone or whatever and try to figure out when packages usually come, but it doesn’t and you wonder if maybe by wanting it so much you brought fate upon yourself or maybe they _saw_ you refresh so much and said Actually she doesn’t need this package after all! and then they open your package and see your super awesome hella butch cutoffs and start trying to judge you and figuring out what kind of a person you are based on those??

_ROSA catches her breath as DREAMY considers._

DREAMY: And that’s what hard seltzer tastes like.

ROSA: Ex-ACTLY.

DREAMY: That sounds great, why didn’t we purchase any.

ROSA: I KNOW!

_DECLAN pokes his head around TILLMAN’s neck._

DECLAN: Hey come on… I just did what Tilly told me to-

TILLMAN: Aw don’t call me that _NOW_ Declan you’ll spoil the mood!

DECLAN: Th- then what do you want me to call you?

TILLMAN: Hmmmm definitely something _SUPER_ platonic.

_The two resume making out. LOU gives a cheer._

ROSA: What is _with_ those two?

DREAMY: Declan seems very nervous.

ROSA: Ehhhh, Tillman is too, that’s just how he hides it.

DREAMY: You know this?

ROSA: Of course, bullshitters can always call each other on it.

DREAMY: Meaning you yourself are?

ROSA _(suddenly self-conscious)_ : Just a figure of speech.

_An awkward silence. LOU plops down on the couch, TOT changes the music to something LOW and AMBIENT._

DREAMY _(standing)_ : My can of beer is empty and I am going to put Declan’s hidden rum into some diet soda. Would you like that as well?

ROSA: Oh uh, maybe later, I have my Estrogen under my tongue. Forgot to take it earlier.

DREAMY: I will return soon and leave again later.

_DREAMY moves to the kitchen and LOU scooches closer._

LOU: I assume you also can’t take a hit?

ROSA: Oh _please_ I’ve got more practice smoking with E in than any other mf in Blaseball.

LOU: Quite the honor.

ROSA: More valuable than a championship.

_A BEAT as ROSA puffs, puffs, and passes. The joint is traded throughout the following exchange._

LOU: Soooooooooooooooooooooo

ROSA: ...So _what._

LOU: So nothing! Nothing at all it’s jusssssssst

ROSA: Spit it out, Lou.

LOU _(sighing)_ : Rosa, while I do agree with your calling this an “Emergency Situation” on the phone, I did _not_ miss a date night with Eiz just to watch you _yearn._

ROSA: I am not!

LOU: You haven’t moved in two hours.

ROSA: Well, Sutton needs a place to sit.

LOU: And don’t you think if she wanted to she could sit. LITERALLY anywhere else and be more comfortable?

ROSA: You know she’s weird.

LOU: Fair.

ROSA: Plus, I’m well known for having exceptionally comfortable shins.

LOU: Oh yeah? _(BEAT as she puffs)_ K then, lemme have a go.

_LOU hops around the couch to sit as DREAMY was prior._

LOU: Heyyyy, not bad! We should do this in the dugout-

ROSA _(straining to keep her volume down)_ : Lou! What are you doing?

LOU: Whaaaaat? No one called dibs, did they?

ROSA: That’s not the point!

LOU: Or are you saying there’s a reason why you want her and not me…?

ROSA: No! I mean, well, yes but- Ugh, stop pouting at me!

LOU: But you’re being sooooo mean! Look, she’ll agree with me.

_DREAMY reappears, holding SLOLO CUP in one hand, and HANDLE OF RUM in the other._

DECLAN: Hey wait, how’d you find that?

DREAMY: It was hidden.

DECLAN: Well yeah I know-

DREAMY: I could not have found it if it was not hidden. Otherwise I would have simply retrieved it.

_ROSA snort laughs and LOU shoots her a look to say “you laughed at THAT?” DREAMY turns to see that her spot has been taken. LOU shrugs._

LOU: You snooze you lose, sucker.

DREAMY: I suppose I will. Try my hand at Mlelee once again.

_ROSA gets up in a huff and catches DREAMY as she turns away._

ROSA: Here, let me take that from you. My Estrogen dissolved.

_ROSA takes the HANDLE back to the kitchen._

* * *

**_SCENE 2:_ ** _The same, just after midnight._

_The MLELEE SETUP is in use again: TILLMAN uses one controller to control TWO DIMINUTIVE ALPINISTS with his head in the lap of a NERVOUS DECLAN. DREAMY uses the other to control a MASKED SPACE GUNSWOMAN. TOT FOX is asleep atop the SPECIAL TV._

DREAMY: I do not like it when you grab me so that I cannot escape.

_TILLMAN is more excited than he has ever been before as he presses the A BUTTON rhythmically._

TILLMAN: THAT’S JUST HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED BAYBEE WOOOOOOOOOOOOO

_ROSA lays across the KITCHEN COUNTER, sipping a POTENT COCKTAIL with head upside down; a not unremarkable feat. LOU sits on the counter like a (more) normal person._

ROSA: It’s like, I don’t understand half of what this girl says right? But, like, it annoyed me at first and it still kinda does but, partly I’ve just started to kinda _get_ it? Like, half the time, and it weirds me out because I can tell what she wants to say, and the other half I kind of get like intrigued by it, like it’s a mystery to puzzle out. But, but I feel like if I do figure it out, maybe we… ugh idunno.

LOU: You could become best friends and live the rest of your days in mutual support and polite correspondence?

ROSA _(sipping)_ : Hey, it can work, I mean I’m pretty sure those two got to platonic second blase earlier.

LOU: And you want to base your relationship presence. On _Tillman Henderson._

ROSA: Ok ok point taken.

LOU: You just gotta be honest with yourself!

ROSA: Oh- oh yeah? And, what just _admit_ that I think the way she closes her eyes while she thinks is _adorable??_ That I think the way she never buttons up her shirt but still tucks it in is a GREAT look?? That I was making tea for myself this morning and one of the blends smelled vaguely like her and it derailed me for _twenty minutes??_ Or should I just admit that I super wanna hug and spoon and put our bodies very close together but I’m terrified that she doesn’t feel the same way and so I’m just delaying things as long as I can so I don’t have to find out?? Is that what you want??

LOU: **YES.**

ROSA: Well okay then fine say I admit all that!! It’s true, all of it’s true, whatever!! What do you want me to do about it?!

LOU: I dunno… but you’d better find out soon.

_DREAMY appears nearby the table, startling ROSA into nearly spilling her drink. (But she’s a champ so she doesn’t.)_

DREAMY: I have decided I do not like video games.

LOU _(hopping up)_ : Welp! Too late for my blood. Declan! Thanks for uh. Letting me come uninvited?

DECLAN: Oh uh. No problem?

> _(The following conversation is carried out entirely in a series of glances as LOU exits.)_
> 
> _LOU: Rosa._
> 
> _ROSA: What._
> 
> _LOU: Do it._
> 
> _ROSA: Do what._
> 
> _LOU: I don’t know. Anything._
> 
> _ROSA: Run away._
> 
> _LOU: Not that._
> 
> _ROSA: I’m too drunk for this._
> 
> _LOU: You’re exactly drunk enough for this._
> 
> _ROSA: Ugh._
> 
> _LOU: I expect a full status report tomorrow._
> 
> _ROSA: Yes ma’am._
> 
> _(End conversation as LOU exits, leaving ROSA and DREAMY alone.)_

ROSA: Leave it to Declan to buy the grossest rum imaginable, right?

DREAMY: Drinking it took me a long time and I wish it had taken less time. That there were less of it. Some combination of factors.

ROSA: Right… Hey. Um?

DREAMY: Yes.

ROSA: So, we have game three tomorrow.

DREAMY: Do we?

ROSA: Y- yeah!

DREAMY: If I had known I would not have had so much to drink.

ROSA: We… play every day though? Also, wait, are you drunk?

DREAMY: I am absolutely sauced, can you not tell?

ROSA: Oh. Silly me. _(beat)_ Anyway, that’s the last game of the series…

_DREAMY stares strongly._

ROSA: And. Uh well. I just wanted to know if we could see each other sometime even if we’re not playing each other right that bit maybe meet up and grab food I mean if our schedules permit of course

DREAMY: You are worried about seeing me? I am sure that you will pitch to me again before too long if that is your concern.

ROSA: Yeah but. That could be a while and. I kinda. Maybe don’t wanna wait that long?

_DREAMY is silent long enough for ROSA to start to interpret it as rejection._

ROSA: Hey uh I get it if you don’t want to just figured I’d ask-

DREAMY: _No._ Um. No. I. Also like? Seeing you?

ROSA: Oh?

DREAMY: Talking to you. Is preferable.

ROSA: No yeah no I meant uh-

DREAMY: It’s just.

ROSA: Oh.

DREAMY: I’m very sorry.

ROSA: No I get it really-

DREAMY: I did mean it when I said you were approaching danger.

ROSA _(caught off guard)_ : Uh?

DREAMY: But I doubted myself and figured it would be better if I was wrong and maybe it would be better if I was further away from you? So I tried to separate myself from you as if distancing the prognostica _tor_ would distance the prognostica _tion._

ROSA: But… you followed me.

DREAMY: I did not say I was successful.

ROSA: So. What uh. Are you saying.

DREAMY: I am saying that I want to protect you and that I find you enrapturing and also that those two sentiments are not necessarily correlated but may be.

ROSA: O-

DREAMY: Results are pending.

ROSA: Oh.

> _What happens next changes depending on the audience’s viewpoint._
> 
> _In the staged version, ROSA briefly loses her balance from the effects of alcohol._
> 
> _In the radio play, DREAMY is tugged slightly forward as an errant breeze blows against her hair._
> 
> _In the prestige TV drama, a minor gap in spacetime opens up, erasing the distance between the two figures._
> 
> _And in this version, all 3 happen, or a combination, or the reader may make up xyr own sequence of events (however improbable) as long as xe is happy with them and as long as they lead into the same outcome of:_

_In DECLAN SUZANNE’S KITCHEN, both at least slightly tipsy but overall coherent, and soundtracked by the sounds of TILLMAN HENDERSON getting his ass kicked in MLELEE, SUTTON DREAMY and RIVERS ROSA share their first kiss. Tentative then overgrasping then relaxing into a calm but firm smooch, either afraid of being the one to scare the other off. They break off after ROSA’s conception of the ideal kiss length (which happens to be the shorter of the two)._

ROSA: UM

DREAMY: Um.

ROSA: MAYBE INSTEAD OF SOMETIME I COULD ACTUALLY SEE YOU DIRECTLY AFTER THE NEXT GAME HOW WOULD YOU LIKE THAT

DREAMY: Maybe you could also walk me home um right now.

ROSA: HAHA YES THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD IDEA

DREAMY: Yours sounded like a good idea as well.

ROSA: OKAY BYE DECLAN THANKS FOR YOUR PLACE

DREAMY: I will likely see you later Tillman but goodbye anyway.

_ROSA and DREAMY hurriedly exit. Beat._

DECLAN: Hm? Hey, where’d everybody go?

_The screen displays DECLAN’s SWORDFIGHTING PRINCE victorious by a wide margin. TILLMAN sulks._

_Fade to black. Credits roll. The reader may supply xyr own soundtrack. An advertisement for the next scheduled program plays. Credits end. Fade in on:_

* * *

**_SCENE 3:_ ** _A zoom call between LOU ROSEHEART and EIZABETH ELLIOTT._

LOU: OK, ok just got a text from Rosa that she _has_ left the party.

EIZ: Did she say what happened _at_ the party?

LOU: No, but I’m texting her back right now. Do you uh-

EIZ: No worries at all, we can start the episode any time.

LOU: Are you sure? It’s real late, sorry about that…

EIZ: Less late over here. Plus I made good progress on a paper. And besides, it could never be too late for press-play-on-the-next-episode-of-Nlaruto-simultaneously-with-your-girlfriend-night!

LOU: Yeah yeah I just- OH SHE TEXTED BACK

EIZ: Oh what’s it say? ...Lou?

 _LOU stares at her phone for a second, then cheers and leaps out of her seat, yanking her laptop off of the table by the headphones._ _She yelps and we see her video tumble out of control. Cut to black on impact._

**end**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No particular reason for the different format here, I just missed script writing I think? But also I think the fun of Blaseball is the sort of collage nature of it so it felt appropriate. Plus I had fun! As always thanks for reading :)


	4. conduit

* * *

_“one tongue to my tongue_

_wanting to protect me from-_

_from…”_

_“from”, big thief_

* * *

No, kick your leg up. Nah more like,

Rivers I am kicking my leg up.

Yeah but you’re not like. Here ok let me show you.

Oh okay I see.

Yeah you have to kinda. Screw your balance up?

No it makes sense.

Cool. Okay let me go back to the plate.

I am much taller while standing here than I anticipated.

Oh yeah the mound’s way taller than you expect, right?

You’re a much smaller Rivers from here.

Yeah, yeah. Just pitch already.

Pfft.

You laughing at me?

No. Maybe? It’s. Your stance is. Off.

Well _pardon_ me! It’s only been what, three seasons since I batted?

You haven’t batted at all since then.

Yeah? Why would I want to, this splort sucks.

It was your idea to teach me to pitch.

So what? You’re cooler than Baseball is lame.

Is that supposed to be a compliment.

Of course it is!! You knew that.

Right. Anyway you’re sticking your butt out way too far.

H- hey! It’s been three seasons…

If you were trying to seduce me you should know you’ve already done that.

Sh- shut up and pitch the ball, Dreamy!!

Hey, mind if I _drop_ in?

Tillman where did you even come from.

_Whaaat_ I can’t check in on my favorite lesbians?

No you fucking can’t dude we’re in the middle of something.

Yeah yeah, I heard most of it.

Y- you heard…?

Yeah, pretty embarrassing shit. Glad I’m not as fucking gay as you two.

Tillman Henderson I will tear you asunder.

Also fuck you Tillman go kiss your loser-ass boyfriend.

Aw don’t be like that! Plus, I figured if we’re teaching pitching, who better than me?

Tillman. Are you unaware that you suck absolute ass at pitching.

* * *

Rivers Rosa liked her life to have a sort of rhythm. She pitched every five games, and between warmups and interviews and whatever the team ended up doing afterwards, these tended to be an all-day affair. Which left the other four days to fill. The day after pitching was her oncall shift at the Firehouse, and the day after was errands. Then came her night out, during which she’d get a decent-to-nice meal out and catch a movie, or just walk around and windowshop. And finally, her indoor day, when she always told herself she was going to pick that book back up, and inevitably ended up messing around on Twitter or something while failing to get to bed at a decent time.

It surprised Rivers how naturally Sutton slotted into her life those first days. They were texting and Sutton just so happened to be out while Rivers was doing laundry, and Rivers gave her the OK to come hang at the laundromat before realizing it meant Sutton would see her wet underwear in the machine. (She didn’t seem to mind.) And the next night… well, why not see a movie they would both like? Rivers was surprised when Sutton was silent the entire time, until she was inundated with 90 minutes’ worth of built-up questions as soon as the movie ended.

Which brought Rosa up to her night in. When she had promised herself she would cook a lovely, romantic dinner for her… well, for Dreamy. Anyway, how hard could it be.

“Oh my god is this water EVER going to boil??”

“Rivers your sauce appears like it does not want to be in its pot any more.”

She swiveled to see that the ‘rolling simmer’ her red sauce recipe had called for had gone from a roll to a tumble, and she flung herself over to turn the heat down.

_Trust me bitch,_ Lou had said. _This recipe has LITERALLY never failed me. Easiest in the world. Guaranteed 10/10 date night._ Rosa gritted her teeth. The gap between Lou and herself was as clear as ever. Rosa would probably have to kick her in the shin or something to make herself feel better.

“Would it inconvenience you if I were to assist,” said Dreamy.

Rosa vaguely nodded as she checked on the chicken. Was it browning fast enough? It was supposed to have been cooking longer, but getting it out of the package had taken longer than she’d thought it would, seeing as it turned out raw chicken was absolutely gross. Who knew. She turned up the heat on it just to be sure it would be ready in time.

“Could you taste the sauce and tell me if it needs, I dunno salt or anything?”

“Yes. Of course.” Dreamy put her face down to the bubbling sauce to take a sip, then reconsidered. She grabbed a nearby spoon and took a taste.

“It is,” she said, “undoubtedly very hot.”

“You’re supposed to blow on it.”

“Ah,” said Dreamy understandingly, “like a pinwheel.”

“Yeah. Wait, no? What? Look, does it need salt or what?”

“Hmm.” Dreamy looked deep in thought. Rosa waited patiently. Then impatiently.

“Well?”

“I could eat this entire pot and not be able to tell you.”

Rosa sighed. “Sutton don’t tell me you don’t know anything about cooking.”

“I would hate to lie to you. You seemed concerned so I thought I would do my best. But I had no idea it would be an ordeal that would test the very limits of my competency.”

_Yeah, me neither._ “Sorry about this… I just thought that, you know, since it was your first time over and all, that it should be special. But now I’m just getting stressed out and dragging you into it…”

“The first thing I have to say is that your stress is your own and to take it from you would be only deceit. The second thing is that I will eat whatever you produce and stick my thumbs up at you while I eat it. To indicate my enjoyment.”

Rosa chuckled. “Well, jeez, thanks I guess. Although I’m not sure how I feel knowing you’d say you liked it no matter what.”

“Just tell me it tastes good,” shrugged Dreamy. “I will not know the difference.”

Dreamy slotted into her kitchen the way she’d slotted into her life, effortlessly and attractively. As chill as the tile floor. As stable as the pot on the counter holding a long-withered basil plant. About as tall as Rosa.

“If it would help I could gently place my hand on your cheek. From what I know of you I doubt you would find it uncomfortable.”

“Uh yeah ok sure,” said Rosa, too quickly for her lagging brain to check.

Even Rosa’s brain was beginning to come around to the fact that, possibly, Dreamy might actually like her in return. The feeling of the palm against her cheek was cool so close to the stove’s heat, and her brain was moving strangely as it flipped to process each variate stimulus. Try as she did, she couldn’t get her eyes to move off Dreamy’s face. But then she realized that she didn’t have to glance away, that Dreamy would be okay with it, might even prefer it, if Rosa stayed there in perpetuity, all adoring gaze and shaky legs.

“Rivers every part of me wants not to say this as you look so genuinely happy in a way I see from you far too infrequently however your kitchen is on fire.”

“Wha- FUCK!” True enough, flames had erupted from the chicken’s pan. _Shouldn’t have turned it up that high,_ thought Rosa as her Firefighter’s Instincts kicked in and she hopped over to where she always kept her kitchen-sized extinguisher.

“I see you were prepared, Rivers,” said Dreamy, lifting up the pot of water. “Smart of you to have placed so much water near something so hot. Now to just-”

“Sutton if you start a grease fire in my apartment consider yourself fucking dumped!!”

“Oh.” Dreamy put the pot down. “We were dating?”

Rosa tripped over her feet as she made it back with the fire extinguisher.

“I am glad you said so I thought I was going to have to ask. Consider us partners in Date.”

Rosa fumbled the fire extinguisher and sprayed her entire kitchen with foam.

***

After cleaning up, Rosa called in an order of pizza. _I know pizza,_ said Sutton. _I would even say I would find most pizza-related things unsurprising._ Rosa took a lot of pleasure in proving her East-coast girlfriend very wrong.

* * *

After the first series, the Crabs and Firefighters had been scheduled to play a second one together. Which marked the first time getting the news of their next opponents had warranted anything but dread or disdain from Rivers Rosa. It was, of course, the reason she had been able to spend time with Sutton Dreamy.

***

The drawback was, of course, having to pitch against the Crabs again in game 3 of this series. Rosa set her axe down, leaned against the wall, and popped her bubblegum. Sure, she was supposed to be using the bullpen to keep her arm warm. But she was _tired._ She fixed her ballcap and pulled out her cellphone to see a notification from the group chat Tillman had started the day after their party.

**> break declans couch challenge <**

**tillyhendy69:** lmao rosa if u hate pitching so much why dont u simply do better

**tillyhendy69:** that way u get it over with

**riverdenial:** wowwwwww! why didn’t i ever think of that before!

**riverdenial:** i can’t tell you how much i regret drinking enough to give you my phone number

**twinrose#2:** Rosa he’s literally on the field right now, he won’t text you back.

**riverdenial:** i know that!!! he’ll see it later!!

**twinrose#2:** Wait hold on did you change your name? We were supposed to be matching!

**riverdenial:** lou no offense but it was lame as shit. got tired of everyone making fun of me

> Loucinde has changed her name to “morelikeriversBLOWSa” <

**riverdenial:** oh my god seriously

**morelikeriversBLOWSa:** What? I call it how I see it.

**morelikeriversBLOWSa:** It is, in fact, more like Rivers Blowsa.

**sweetdreamys:** Could you all stop texting its very distracting im trying to focus

**riverdenial:** oh my god sutton do you really have your phone out on the field right now

**sweetdreamys:** Of course not that would be silly and i would get in trouble

**riverdenial:** then how… ugh forget it. i can’t believe warming up sounds like more fun than dealing with you idiots

There were upsides and downsides to pitching with your axe, Rivers mused. For the downs, the turnover rate on balls was incredibly high, as slightly misangling her swing could slice the whole cover or more off the ball in a single swipe. And also the obvious fact that it was much, much heavier than just doing it with your arm. The plusses were, for one it made the transition to pitcher much easier. It was still basically the same motion that she’d used when she was a batter, just with a slower moving ball and a well-defined target.

The real reason Rivers did it, of course, was that it looked sick as hell, and she felt it communicated some small part of her frustration at being forced to participate in this dumbass splort. She popped a bubble as she pitched another ball in the air, then swung with all her might.

***

**> break declans couch challenge <**

**tot2trot:** Hello. Has anyone seen the schedule. Signed. Tot Fox

**sweetdreamys:** No why

**tot2trot:** It appears. We are once again. Playing the Firefighters. Signed. Tot Fox

**tot2trot:** In Chicago again. As well. Signed. Tot Fox

**tillyhendy69:** UGHHHHHHHHH SRSLY????????????

**tillyhendy69:** sick of this fuckin town n these fuckin fighters

**tillyhendy69:** if i eat another pierogi im gonn afuckin pukeeeeeee get me outta chicago

**sweetdreamys:** Were our counterparts not currently fielding i believe they would claim chicagos ownership of baltimore as well

**tot2trot:** Tillman I’m having trouble. Believing you are upset. Signed. Tot Fox

**tot2trot:** Seeing as you are. Currently DMing Declan. To make plans. Signed. Tot Fox

**tillyhendy69:** so what ur fuckin calling me gay now is that it??

**sweetdreamys:** Its very annoying tillman that you pretend like it isnt collective knowledge

**tillyhendy69:** im not gay im str8 as hell

**tillyhendy69:** i fucking love the one thats not boys

**tillyhendy69:** whats it called again i cant remember too busy thinkn bout boys

**riverdenial:** dreamy!! don’t steal our chicago joke thunder!! it’s literally the only thing going for us

**morelikeriversBLOWSa:** Declan, please tell your bf he’s gay.

**d3cl4n:** idk…… if he wants to say he’s straight…… then he should be allowed to i think……

**riverdenial:** oh my god declan you’re so fucking lame

**riverdenial:** also lou change your fucking name back

**morelikeriversBLOWSa:** I refuse.

**riverdenial:** fuck you

**morelikeriversBLOWSa:** Fuck YOU Rivers Blowsa!!

**d3cl4n:** sorry to say it lou…… but it really is a super lame insult……

**morelikeriversBLOWSa:** Stay out of it Declan.

**riverdenial:** stay out of it declan

**d3cl4n:** ok,,,,,,,,,,

***

Okay, bottom of the ninth, one out. And they were up. That was the good. The bad? Bases were loaded. Not like it was _her_ fault, Rosa thought. I mean sure okay she _did_ walk Tillman but that wasn’t her fault, he was making faces at her the whole time and she couldn’t focus. _(How is that legal? An ump should do something about that asshole.)_ And then Pedro Davids hit a flyout, which was good, and then she walked Tot, which _wasn’t_ , but he was a little tiny fox so she felt that was understandable.

And then Forrest Best came up to bat and that was when she noticed that in the Crabs’ dugout Sutton was leaning against the back wall with her eyes closed taking small tentative sips out of a carton of apple juice and it was so so cute that Rivers felt that it was very understandable if she lost her focus entirely for that bat and walked Forrest on four straight balls.

Well. Okay. Maybe it wasn’t. But still.

“Keep your head in the game, Rosa!” yelled Goobie Ballson from the field behind her. “You got this!”

_Thanks Goob._ Goobie was great, Rivers loved that guy. Kennedy Loser walked up to the plate and tapped it a few times with his bat, then knocked the bat out of his hands with the recoil and had to pick it back up. Rivers took a deep breath.

“Ball!”

Shit. She popped a bubble in her gum in annoyance.

“Strike swinging! 1-1.”

All right, cool. Rivers pumped her fist and caught the ball back from the catcher. She’d been in tighter spots than this before, she could handle this. She glared at the plate and blinked once, then twice. Her eyes were having trouble focusing for some reason.

“Ball! 2-1.”

Dammit. A tough count to work your way back from. Rivers closed her eyes to give them a chance to rest. The crowd was deafening. She snapped her eyes open and quickly went through her stance. Quick enough that she caught Loser before he was ready for it. Quick enough that the ball was already leaving her axe by the time she noticed that she was really having trouble seeing Kennedy Loser.

“Strike swinging! 2-2.”

Or, no, that wasn’t it. She could see Kennedy just fine. There was just something standing behind him. It was blurry and Rivers thought about resting her eyes again before she realized that the blur _was_ the thing. Some kind of substance made of distortion. It was shapeless, and formless. It reminded Rivers of how air looked when it was directly over a fire. Was that what a mirage was? She wasn’t sure.

“Ball! 3-2.”

Wait, had she pitched? She wasn’t sure, but the count had advanced. Full count. And the thing behind Kennedy was molding itself out of air and it had a head now. And arms and legs. A humanoid figure. Rivers tried to call out but it caught in her throat. She looked around but no one else on the field was acting like anything out of the ordinary was happening.

She pitched, and she knew as she often did that this one was no good. Straight down the middle and just fast enough that the batter could put some real distance on it. Rivers closed her eyes and waited for the sound of bat on ball.

But it never came. She tentatively opened one eye. The ball was in the catcher’s glove. And Kennedy’s bat was gripped firmly in place by two arm-like protrusions from whatever it was that was behind him.

“Kennedy Loser strikes out looking.” The stands erupted. Kennedy scratched his head under his helmet as he left the plate. And the shapeless formless figure turned to look at Rosa as it raised a shapeless formless finger to its mouth. And then vanished.

* * *

Luis Acevedo singled off the very next pitch, scoring two and shaming the Firefighters. Rivers booked it out of the stadium as fast as she could manage. Fast enough that she was more surprised than relieved when Sutton caught up to her.

“Oh, hey Dream!” trying to play it off casual. “Good game, and all that…”

“What was that.”

“Huh?” There was an intensity in her voice that caught Rivers off guard. “Oh, uh. Bad inning, I guess, you know how it goes. Happens to everyone.”

Sutton looked hurt. It was on her face, nearly imperceptible, but there. “I was unaware that you had access to such interplanar modes of commune.”

“H- huh? Wait a second-”

“I had thought we were close enough that you would be able to tell me things that of course I would be able to understand. But I have been mistaken. I will simply work harder to earn that trust.”

“No, hey, it’s not like that, Sutton, I promise…” Rivers sighed and Sutton looked back at her. “Look if you’re talking about what just happened, I don’t know. I don’t know, okay? It just… nobody was saying anything, so I thought I was having some kind of mental break or something-”

“That’s never happened before.”

“No, it really hasn’t! Honest.”

Sutton’s eyes opened minutely, then closed. She tilted her head slightly back and stood there just long enough for Rivers to start to wonder if something had gone wrong somehow. Then she came back.

“I see,” she said. “I understand. I mean that I do not understand. You should come with me.”

And so Sutton Dreamy led Rivers Rosa down the dusk-crested streets of Chicago, where Rosa was from.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (This chapter has a side chapter! You can find it [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27232405/chapters/66524005).)
> 
> The fic continues! Didn't realize it had been like what three weeks since the last one? But I've recommitted myself. This chapter was actually a ton of fun to write, partly because it's a little all over the place. A big part of me wants to just make the whole rest of this fluff but I did all that foreshadowing earlier on and now I feel obligated to follow through lmao.
> 
> Shouting some people out bc why not I guess:  
> [paopuleaf](https://archiveofourown.org/users/paopuleaf) on here, another great Crabs fic writer who I stole some of the Chiclawgo group chat stuff from.  
> [The Tot Fox Twitter account](https://twitter.com/2tot2fox), from which I stole the "signed tot fox" bit that I think is hilarious.  
> Oh and uh Adrianne Lenker has a new album out! Her stuff is like, obviously a big inspo for this (I quote it at the start of every chapter lmao) so uh. Idk go to her [Bandcamp](https://adriannelenker.bandcamp.com/) I guess.  
> And of course special thanks to the goth boots I got in the mail today without which I wouldn't have had the strength to edit this.
> 
> Ok. Uh, more soon, probably! I'm gonna go read visual novels. Peace!


	5. conveyance

* * *

_ “things we’re meant to understand _

_ crawling closer to your hand…” _

_ “open desert”, big thief _

* * *

“Parker please open the door. Do not make me knock harder I will cause. A nuisance.”

“What what whatttt okay fine here!” The hotel door opened and Parker Parra stuck their head out. “Here I am whaddya- oh! Hey Dreamy what’s up. And, heyyyyyyyyyy Rosa!”

Rivers Rosa felt herself squirm under Parra’s smirk. Rivers was standing in the hallway of the hotel floor the Crabs were using, leaning against the wall opposite the door Sutton Dreamy had been knocking on. And for not the first time, Rosa was trying to mentally will herself smaller.

“Parker why did you have our door deadbolted. My key did not work.”

“Oh uhhhhhh sorry sorry, Loser has our master key you know and he allllways likes to come in here to hang out for whatever reason, so that’s basically the only way I can get any sleep at night. Which is. What I was doing until recently. Anyway when I didn’t see you after the game I figured the two of you were… … busy! well anyway come in you two!!”

Rivers mumbled something and pushed herself off the wall, entering close after Sutton. Parra closed the door close behind them. Sutton found a spot to hover around half-awkwardly in and for a split second Rivers felt an impulse to flop onto a bed with her dirty cleats still on as a sort of power move.  _ That’s probably a bit too powerful, _ she thought, and settled with leaving her cleats by the door before flopping down on a bed, lowering the brim of her hat slightly to hide from Parra’s scrutinizing look. She wasn’t keen to meet their gaze, not even entirely because she’d heard that making eye contact with whatever passed for Parra’s eyes would like, seriously fuck you up.

“Well!” said Parra, “welcome to Casa du DreamPark. Get you anything? Tap water? A slightly larger glass of tap water?”

Rosa shrugged off the attempted joke.

“Your girlfriend sure is fun, Dreamy,” said Parra.

“Yes, she is,” answered Dreamy, genuinely. “How were you already asleep when we got back. Rivers and I departed the stadium directly after the game.”

“Um, maybe because I rode the bus home?? Don’t tell me you walked all the way here.”

“How else would I arrive.”

Parra sighed. They turned to Rivers. “She likes to forget that cars and shit exist. You gotta remind her ok?”

“Oh,” said Rivers. “I thought. Well I didn’t know where we were going so I figured maybe it was a place you had to walk to?”

“Ooooooo a mystery date! Adventurous.” Their smirk grew wider. “I like you, Rivers Rosa.”

“Uh, thanks?”

“Well! I’ll leave you two to it, maybe Loser wants to hang out. And listen Dreamy, you know I’m always 100% cool with you bringing chicks over but could you maybe text first?”

“I definitely did text first.”

“Hm?” Parker checked their phone. “Oh shit! You sure di- woah. Pretty uh. Direct there, huh Sutton? Welllllllll, don’t let me get in the way! Seeeeeeeeeee yaaaaaaaaaa!”

And somewhere in between two of the a’s in ya, Parker Parra was gone, leaving the two of them alone.

“Hey uh. Dream.”

“Yes Rivers.”

“What did you. For uh, my own curiosity. What did you tell her?”

“Hm? I only told her that we’d be sleeping together.”

_ Ah. Right. Of course. _

“Hey Dreamy?”

“Yes Rivers.”

“Why the literal fuck??? Would you say that???”

“Oh you are right. I should have been more specific. You will be sleeping. And I will be here also. But unasleep. I maintain that I was technically correct.”

Rivers shut her eyes briefly to refocus. “What exactly is your plan here anyway, I still don’t know the first thing you’re trying to do.”

“Well. I need you to meet some. Friends? Of mine. But you can only do so while asleep.”

“And you need to stay awake.”

“Otherwise I will be unable to keep my goggles on.”

“So this is sort of your normal brand of weirdness then.”

“In that it is associated with dreams? Yes. It is kind of my thing.”

“No like. The sort of weirdness where I just sorta follow along without you saying exactly what’s going on but everything turns out good anyway?”

“I think it will help you if I say yes, so that is my answer.”

“Okay,” said Rivers, sitting up. “Sure. Yeah. Sure. So you just need me to fall asleep?”

“Exactly.”

Rivers sighed. “Putting aside the fact that I’m totally not sleepy. Sutton what’s actually going on here. Like if you don’t wanna tell me or you can’t I get it, I guess? But also I’m sorta flying blind here. I dunno.”

Dreamy sighed. “Rivers. Do you. Remember before?”

An odd question among odd questions. “Before… before what?”

“Before. Do you remember. It. Rivers.”

“Okay jeez no need to get all intense um. Well, before I was here I was in the stadium-”

Sutton shook her head.

“More?” Sutton nodded. “Okay. Before we played the Crabs I think we were playing an away game. Maybe I can remember-”

Sutton shook her head. More.

“Before this season the Firefighters were- No? Um, I used to be a batter?”

And still Sutton shook her head.

Rivers sighed, exasperated. “Ok, not sure what else there is?? I’m a blaseball player, I don’t know what else you expect me to say?”

Sutton looked almost wistful. “Do you remember before.”

“Like I said, I don’t know what you’re asking. I’ve played blaseball. That’s it.”

“I see.”

“H-hey, don’t look so down. Sorry if that wasn’t the answer you were looking for…”

“No. In many ways. Most, probably. It is the correct answer.”

Sutton turned away and Rivers couldn’t shake the feeling of committing some arcane faux pas.

“So,” changing the subject. “Parker’s your roommate?”

“Yes. I find her incredibly difficult to deal with.”

“Why? Do you think they’re weird?”

“No. Far too normal.”

Rosa snickered. “Yeah. Okay yeah I can see it. They seem kinda overbearing.”

“They care. Though. Their intentions match their actions but they do not produce the desired effects.”

“How do you know what their intentions are.”

“They state them frequently. Most of them are rather crude. Assisting me in gaining. Various boons. Of that nature.”

“They’re your wingman.”

“No, they are not male and cannot fly. But an excellent guess on your part.”

“Oh my god Dreamy no I mea- Oh hold on, that’s my phone.” She glanced down at it. Speak of the devil.

**> parker parra <**

**parx2:** heyyyyyyyyyyyyy rosa ^3^

**riverdenial:** hey parker what’s up?

**parx2:** oh nothingggggg just wanted to check innnnnnn

**riverdenial:** that bored huh

**parx2:** hahahahahaha no way!!!!!!!

**parx2:** i mean, yes i am. but uhhhhhhh anyway

**parx2:** great to finally meet the person dreamy’s spending so much time with!

**riverdenial:** hey listen i don’t know exactly what she texted you but

**riverdenial:** we’re like super not banging in here or anything ok?

**parx2:** haha dont worry i figured it was just dreamy being weird or some shit

**parx2:** anyway rivers you seem like you have a good head on your shoulders >:0

**parx2:** so ill give u some advice: if u break her heart!!!!!

**parx2:** then you’ll be a lot more familiar with your namesake if you know what i meannnnn

**riverdenial:** what

**riverdenial:** i don’t know what you mean at all

**parx2:** oh my god i mean im going to throw you in a river >x0

**riverdenial:** ok literally how was i supposed to get that from what you said

**parx2:** look!!!!!!!!!!! who cares ok!!!!!!!!!!! just be nice to dreamy she deserves it!!!!!!!!!

**riverdenial:** i always try to be nice to her, obviously

**parx2:** wellllllll good ~u~ keep it that way

**parx2:** o shit its my turn in spades ok byeeeee have fun making out or whatever!!!!!!!

Rivers looked up and tossed her phone onto a nightstand. Sutton didn’t ask for any details. Which was good, since Rivers definitely didn’t want to supply any. She took off her hat and loosened the buttons of her shirt, tossing aside her belt as well.

“All right. Time to sleep!”

“Yes.” Sutton set a chair by the side of the bed and dropped down in it. “And I will be here and everything will be fine.”

“Thanks that’s uh. Reassuring?”  _ Probably wouldn’t have needed the reassurance if she hadn’t mentioned it in the first place, _ she thought.

“Good. I hoped it would be. Now. You may sleep.”

“Yeah. Sure.” Rivers shifted around a bit on the bed. “Uh. Great.”

“...Any time now, Rivers.”

“Yeah I uh. Can’t really rush it, Dreamy? Dunno how you sleep but for most people you just gotta kinda… wait?”

“Hm.”

Rivers did her best to get comfortable, trying all sides including front. She pulled an extra pillow from the far end of the bed and curled her body around it. Oh yeah. That was the stuff.

“Wow. I never knew you could be this adorable.”

“Do you want me to sleep or do you have a death wish??”

“Well. Are you sleeping.”

“I dunno Dream, am I?”

“You would know better than I.”

Rivers sighed. “No. I’m not.”

“I see.” Sutton leaned forward. “Then I will have to unleash my true power.”

“Uhhhh Dream I dunno if that’s- oh. Oh!!”

Sutton had stretched a hand out and was gently but firmly running her hand through Rivers’ hair and across her head, applying the barest amount of pressure with her soft fingertips.

“Oh my… fucking god…” managed Rivers.

“Is this satisfactory?”

“Literally never stop this for the rest of my life holy shit.”

“I am glad you enjoy it. This is an ancient technique I perfected over years of study in an ancient monastery.”

“R- Really?”

Rivers could feel a smile through Dreamy’s hand. “You do not have a monopoly on sarcasm, Rivers Rosa.”

“Oh… Right…” She tried to think back and remember if Dreamy had always been able to bring out the same joking twinge present in her voice now, but Rosa’s thoughts scattered as she tried to chase them.

“Okay. I will see you soon, Rivers.”

“Yeah… see ya…”

***

Rivers Rosa swam through a sea of flunyuns. Endless in all directions it flowed up and behind her, challenging her to swim deeper. She opened her mouth and chomped down crisp strands of fried onion snack. Oh yeah. This was the life. They were some indescribable flavor that was a mix of all her favorites. Rivers flipped over into a backstroke through the delectable junkfood waterfall.

And then the waterfall broke, sending flunyuns scattering around like dust in a storm, and Rivers found herself falling, falling until-

She landed hard on the firm sod of an oversaturated green field. Little spinny cartoon circles decorated her head until she shook them away.

“Where… am I?” she asked mostly to herself.

“Omigod?? Riv?? Is that you??” came a voice from off to the side of her, and she turned to see-

“Dreamy?” But. Wait. No, that couldn’t be. The figure excitedly running over looked like Dreamy, but it carried none of the same aloof elegance, instead running in exaggerated flailing motions that were imprecise and unpracticed but nevertheless intensely adorable. Her clothes were all pastels and sparkles and platform shoes, gaudy and intense, bursting with accessories and bangles and all manner of impractical things.

“Aaaaaaaa Riverssssssssss!!!!!! I like can’t believe you’re here omigod!!!!!! You made it I’m like TOTES overjoyed!!!!!”

“Um. Dreamy…?”

“OH! Uh. Yeah! Tadaaaah!! But I’m not quiiiiiite your Dreamy.”

Rivers’ brain was still full of flunyuns.

“I’m uh,” the strange figure explained. “I’m a Dream Dreamy!! A Dreamy in a Dream!”

“Oh. So I’m. Dreaming right now.”

“Uhhhh yeah duh-DOI Riv!!!!! Hehehe how else would you find me!”

“So. Uh. Dreamy? Should I still call you that?”

“Hmmmmmm,” she thought, putting a too-long-sleeve-covered hand to her chin. “Yeah idc! Do whatever babes.”

“Is this just. Uh. What you look like in here?” squinted Rivers.

“Oh! Nonononono! This is just like, one of me. I’m just  _ a _ Dream Dreamy.”

“Oh my sweet lord there’s more of you.”

“Yayayayaya!! Like uh,,,,, oh there’s one over there!”

Rivers turned and, sure enough, there was another… ‘Dream Dreamy’, sitting one leg extended, the other bent and raised, her arm resting on the upstretched knee. She was dressed entirely in black and belt-buckles, and had heavy makeup across her face that looked like it had been marred by tears, though Rivers couldn’t tell whether that happened naturally or if it had been drawn on that way.

The excitable Dreamy rushed over to the other and started hovering and prodding.

“Dreamy!!! Get the eff up girl!!! Rivers is here!!!!”

“Oh no,,,,” moped the other, “I didn’t want her to ever see me like this,,,,,, trapped in this web of morbidity,,,,,,, she deserves better than me,,,,,,,”

“Omigod you’re such a fucking drag!!! Get up come on come meet Riv!!!!!!”

“Alas,,,,,,, my torment is unceasing,,,,,,,”

_ Ok. Calm down. Breathe. _ Rivers tried to coach herself through this onslaught.  _ You’re dreaming. Cool. Great. This is what Dreamy was talking about. _ She surveyed the two Dreamys as they approached, one dragged by the other. She sought comfort in categorization.  _ Ok I’ll call that one Goth Dreamy. That’s easy. And the other one… Pastel Dreamy? Yeah not quite accurate but sure, close enough. And if any more come, I’ll… figure it out. _

***

The introductions completed, the three of them lazed around in a triangle on the grass.

“So uh,” Rivers ventured. “Are you like. The same as the Dreamy I know?”

“Yeah totes!” “Unfortunately no,,” they answered in unison. Then they glanced at each other in shock.

“K like, I guess not! But we still kinda are!”

“Yeah we are, I guess,,, but not really,,,,,”

“This is. Somehow even worse than talking to my Dreamy.”

“Awwwwwwwwwwwww don’t say it like that!!!! You love talking to her!!!!! R-right????”

“She just said she doesn’t,,,,,,,,,, it’s all over for me,,,,,,,,,”

_ Oh jeez oh jeez. _ Rivers flailed her hands placatingly. She had to be more careful what she said, these two were like a powder keg. “Sorry, I just meant. Uh. Is there someone who can like. Explain things to me? I’m not really sure why I’m here or uh. What Dreamy wants.”

“Oh!!!!!! Like why didn’t you just say so?”

“Here,,,,,, I can call her,,,,,, if that’s okay,,,”

“Call uh. Who?”

“The Dreamy that explains things, silly!!!!!”

“Call placed,,,,,,”

Rivers felt her stomach sink far far below her feet.

“Yes, yes! I am coming!” And, appearing out of nowhere, came a Dreamy wheeling an antique-looking chalkboard along with her.

_ Okay, at least this is another easy one, _ thought Rivers.  _ Professor Dreamy. _ She was dressed in a fairly Dreamy-standard outfit of collared shirt tucked into pants, except this time with a lab coat around everything.

“Sorry for the delay. Ah, hello Ms. Rosa! Kind of you to join us for today’s seminar.” And an accent. Rivers felt herself kinda wanting to swoon over it.  _ (I’ll just tuck that thought away for later.) _

“Oh. Uh, hi. Dreamy?”

“Yes, that is fine, I encourage my students to call me by name. I’m a very casual teacher. Now! Today’s lesson: Dreamy Ontology.”

The other two Dreamys arranged themselves attentively on the grass in front of the chalkboard and, never one to resist peer pressure, Rivers joined in between them.

“Let’s start with a simple proposition. The limits of one’s  _ language _ are the limits of one’s world. We can not think what we can not think: we can not therefore  _ say _ what we can not think.”

Oh god. Memories and repressed insecurities of never quite being the brightest rose in Rivers’ throat like bile. The professor went on and she instantly tuned out.

“Um. Psst, Dreamy,” she turned to the Pastel Dreamy, searching for a lifeline. “What is she talking about?”

“Oh! Ummm, it’s pretty simple it’s just like? Ok there’s no such thing as the thinking, presenting subject, right? Like, if I wrote a book like ‘Oh jeez here’s my world!’ and tried to write down all the cool and wonderful things around me, if I wanted to be like suuuuper accurate I’d also have to talk about like ‘Oh this is what my body was like! This is how my eyes seeing stuff and ears hearing stuff works!’ and ‘These are the things I could control and these are the things I can’t!’”

It sounded to Rivers almost as if the same thoughts were shared by both this Dreamy and the one giving the lecture, only each being expressed through different filters. Both equally inaccessible to her.

“But then I’m just like, isolating the subject, you know?” continued Pastel Dreamy, “or kinda like, showing that in an important sense there  _ is _ no subject, yanno? Like, basically, I couldn’t talk about a viewpoint as something alone by itself, I’d have to like, reference all the other stuff around it! Get it?”

“Uh. No. No I really don’t.” Rivers sank a bit down behind her legs.

“Ok I’ll, uh,,,,, give it a try,,,,,,,,” said Goth Dreamy. “So like,,,,,, a subject is something that kinda,,,,, looks at things, right? You could say you’re a subject,,,, because you uh,,,,, look at things,,,, and think about them,,,, and junk,,,,,”

“Hmm. Okay, sure, makes sense.”

“Okay so like,,,,,, where are you? In the world?”

“Um. Right. Here…?”

“But like!” chirped in Pastel Dreamy, “How do you know!!”

“I can like, know where I am?? I can look at myself and see myself in a mirror and stuff?”

“Yes!” interjected Professor Dreamy, “But remember the example of the book so eloquently demonstrated by Dreamy. You would be merely defining yourself as the subject in  _ relation _ to the world, not on its own.”

“Um. Ok. Sure? Seems pretty hard to do it without like, referencing other things.”

“Exactly!!” said Professor Dreamy. “Exactly. The subject cannot be defined without reference to its viewpoint. To put it another way, let me draw an image.” And she drew an image on the chalkboard: a simple eye with a dotted-line field extending from it. “Say that we have an eye. And this is everything the eye can see. We could say that the eye’s  _ world _ is everything the eye views.”

Rivers nodded along. The other two Dreamys were enraptured.

“But, let’s say you, the subject, the viewpoint, et cetera, are this eye. And your world is what you can see. Can you see yourself?”

“Um. Based on what you said before, no, right? I could only, um. Reference myself based off other things. So. Does this mean I’m not a part of my own world?”

“Yeah!!! Yayayayaya exactly!!!” Pastel dreamy jumped to her feet. “In your face Dreamy I knew she could do it!!”

Goth Dreamy grimaced and tossed some kind of weird half-present coin to the other.

“So, Rosa,” continued the professor. “Another way to say what you have said: The subject does not  _ belong _ to the world. But it is a  _ limit _ of the world. Your world is everything you can see, talk about, describe, and so on. And you yourself, the subject, are not a part of it. You cannot speak about yourself, in other words, but you can define yourself based on what you see and interact with. The world you see is  _ your world. _ And so it is with all subjects.”

“Okay, sure, gotcha. Let’s imagine I uh. I understood all that. What does it have to do with. Uh. Anything?”

“Hm,” mused Professor Dreamy. “Well, there’s a part that applies to you. And a part that applies to we Dreamy. Which would you like first?”

Rivers exhaled sharply. “You know what start with Dreamy first. Serves her right for dragging me in here, I’m gonna get some dirt on her at least.”

“Very well. To put things very simply: we, as the concept of a Dreamy, are our world’s subject. And you reside in our world. Dreamy as you know her normally - Sutton, let’s call her - is a bit of a strange case. She resides also in our world, and we can see slash describe slash speak of her. So she cannot be us. And yet, she observes our world. So she yet is us.”

“So she’s like. Uh. Trapped between?”

“No? But, close enough, if that is how you must understand it. As she draws closer to us, she becomes more separate from the world. And as she becomes closer to the world, she becomes further from us.”

“And what’s with the whole dreams thing? Like, all this, uh. Can I call it nonsense? Is that rude?”

“Nah,,,,” said Goth Dreamy, “that’s probably,,,,,, a fair assessment,,,,”

“The nonsense is almost the point,” clarifies Professor Dreamy. “Logic defines the world, remember? And since dreams are largely illogical, the boundaries of the world become fuzzy, which makes it easier for us to… slip through.”

“And if Sutton helps us we can talk to you!!” chirps Pastel Dreamy.

“Kinda,,,, I mean we come through sorta like,,,,,,, light through a crystal,,,,,,”

“Fragmented,” says Professor Dreamy. “Refracted through many facets and coming to rest in variate forms. But trace lines back from each of us and find where we meet, and…”

“And?”

“Hehehe, who knows!!”

“It would be,,,, hard to explain,,,, even for us,,,,,”

“Sure. Sure. Okay.” Rivers took a deep breath. She’d barely gotten any of that. And she didn’t think they’d answered her question in the first place. But she got the sense somehow that she was running out of time, so she pressed onward. “Then uh. What about me?”

“You,” said Professor Dreamy, “are interesting.”

“You didn’t make that sound like a good thing.”

“It’s not. You remember that your viewpoint, in some way, creates the world via observing. Your subject defines the world. Its limits, more specifically.”

“Yeah sure something like that.”

“Okay so like,” cut in Pastel Dreamy, “What if your viewpoint changes, like you see things all different and stuff!”

“Um. My, world would change?”

“Yayyyyyyyyy! You’re really getting the hang of this Riv you’re like SO cool!!!”

“And you already live,,,,,,,,” said Goth Dreamy, “in such an effervescent, malleable world,,,,,,,,,,, so if you change it for yourself,,,,,, and it’s strong enough,,,,,,, it could affect the worlds of others as well,,,,,,,,,”

Professor Dreamy rapped on the board with a pointing stick. “And this is what we fear! A cognitive bias that spreads through the gestalt of Blaseball worlds could undo whatever small amount of coherence it currently holds.”

“So you’re saying I’m gonna tear the whole world apart? With my, mind?”

“Hehehe you always put stuff so funny! It’s kinda like that, yeah!!” Pastel Dreamy did a little pose.

“Okay, so how do I. Uh. Not? Do that?”

The three Dreamys around her shrugged.

“That’s not like, really what we’re here for!” Pastel Dreamy rubbed the side of her head sheepishly.

“We came,,,,,,,,, to observe,,,,,,, not to solve,” opined Goth Dreamy.

“You will have to rely on your Sutton Dreamy for anything else, unfortunately. She called upon us for help with preserving your world and we obliged. However, we can only convey to her what we have found.”

“Oh, okay then. I uh. Well, thanks I guess?” A wind over the hills started to raise in intensity. “It’s starting to feel like I need to leave soon.”

“Yes, it seems it would be a good time for that.”

“Alone again,,,,,, as usual,,,,,,,,,,”

“Awwwwwwwwwww but we were having so much fun!!!”

“Look I don’t really know what I was supposed to get from this,” said Rivers. “You all exist outside the world, Sutton’s like a version of you but  _ in _ the world, and I’m in that world but also creating my own world, except that I might destroy that one somehow?”

Professor Dreamy smiled. “See! You’re following along already. It seems Sutton had good reason to trust you after all.”

“Oh, she does?”

“Implicitly. As long as you stick with her, everything should be okay.”

Pastel Dreamy grabbed Rivers by both hands. “You gotta come back you just gotta okaaaaaaay!!! You haven’t even met the Dreamy that dresses and acts exactly like you!!!!! She’s a RIOT.”

_ Oh my god oh my god get me out of this hellscape. _ “Haha yeah I’ll have to. Meet her. Next time. Anyway uh. Bye, everyone! Now, how do I-”

And before she could say ‘leave’, she found herself sitting up awake in bed.

Sutton Dreamy took off her Night Vision Goggles. “Welcome back,” she said.

***

Dreamy had said she needed time to process, which was all good with Rosa because she was pretty sure she did as well. Now that the immediacy was gone, Rosa felt free to change into some actually comfortable clothes. She was wearing the first things she’d pulled out of Dreamy’s partially unpacked suitcase: a tank top and some drawstring shorts, slightly big on her but incredibly comfortable. The clock read an ungodly hour when she left the bathroom, finding Dreamy also changed into a sports bra and boyshorts, in contemplation off to the side of the room.

_ Oh yeah that’s right, _ thought Rosa, the idea dawning on her all at once,  _ I’m sleeping over. At my. Girlfriend’s. This is a thing normal people do, right? Shouldn’t be any big deal… _ And yet, just being in the same room as Dreamy, especially in such a state, this late, couldn’t help but feel like an incredibly huge deal to Rosa.

“I am very sorry,” said Dreamy, turning her head to Rosa. “About. All of them.”

“Oh uh,” said Rosa, broken from her reverie. “The other Dreamys? Nah, they were fine. I mean, they were a lot, for sure. But, fine.”

“I know it’s. Unusual. I would not have put you there if it was not. Needed.”

“I don’t really mind. Outside of all the uh, lecturing, it was kinda nice?”

“Oh.”

“I sorta. Like don’t get me wrong everything’s very confusing but I sorta. Feel closer to you now, I think. Having seen your.” Rosa breathed out the side of her mouth. “Family?”

“Hm. Interesting that you perceive them as such. I will note that.”

Rosa sighed and rested her head against the headboard. Her head was a mess of postulates and nonsense and it was getting harder to tell them apart.

“Hey Dreamy?”

“Yes Rosa.”

“I’m kinda stupid, I think.”

“I would agree with that.”

“You’re not supposed to go along with it, Sutton...”

“No, I think it is okay. It suits you. Plus, you are intelligent in every way that matters.”

“Which is?”

“Absolutely none. There is no way in which it matters.”

Rosa laughed. “Hey uh. So turns out I’m actually still tired?”

“Yes that makes sense. You were not actually resting as you slept.”

“But uh. We should talk about everything? Shouldn’t we?”

Dreamy shook her head. “I picked up most of it. And what I did not will last until tomorrow. Rest now, Rivers Rosa.”

“Ok, fine.” Rosa nested herself down into the covers, then stopped. “You should sleep too.”

“Ah. Of course. I will find a blanket and a comfortable spot on the floor.”

“You idiot,” Rosa said, smiling with eyes clenched shut. “C’mon, hop in here.” She pulled up the side of the blanket, creating a gap just big enough for Dreamy to slot into. And Dreamy only hesitated a moment before she did so.

“Sweet dreams, Rosa.”

“Yeah. Yeah, you too.”

Rosa brought her body close to Dreamy’s and listened to the sounds of her breathing. She couldn’t sleep yet, not until she was sure Dreamy was asleep. She felt rest biting at the sides of her eyes but she held it back until she felt Dreamy’s breath change in a pattern that left no doubt she was no longer awake. Rosa sighed and let a wave of calm pass through her, sending her into a sleep like a thick black curtain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much of this chapter is adapted or quoted directly from Wittgenstein's 'Tractatus Logico-Philisophicus', specifically section 5.6.*  
> The C.K. Ogden translation is used, which you can find for free [here](https://www.gutenberg.org/files/5740/5740-pdf.pdf) courtesy of Project Gutenberg.
> 
> Ummmm hello! This was sort of a big chapter, and the fact that it's kinda important for explaining stuff, but also had some sort of out-there ideas. I hope you found the infodump at least bearable, and if not then maybe the fluff was enough to make you happy. What's your favorite Dreamy variation! Any you'd like to see! Sound off in the comments below! (oh my god that was a joke i felt so gross typing it i mean, only if you want to i guess?? or have a really really good dreamy concept...)
> 
> Anyway, hopefully in the future I won't be so distracted by. certain boys. and I'll be able to work my way through to the end of this. Onwards and upwards!


	6. convivial

* * *

_ “she tells me to close and count to ten _

_ as she wanders freely through the forest _

_ ‘can i close and open once again?’ _

_ the question that i seek for reassurance…” _

_ “orange”, big thief _

* * *

“Okay but like. The red or the blue.”

“Well red’s more your usual. But I always liked blue on you. So I’d say blue.”

“Cool. Red it is then.”

“Are you being an asshole on purpose?”

“...Yes.”

Lou sighed and her shadow snickered from the floor behind her. It was less stable than usual, flickering in the candlelight Rivers liked to use to light her bedroom.

“Rivers some day we’re going to teach you some coping mechanisms that don’t drive me up a wall.”

“Uh, sure, can it wait until after I pick an outfit though? It’s our first date I can’t fuck this up.”

“Don’t you two hang out constantly though? And wait didn’t you have dinner together at your apartment? Wasn’t that a date?”

Rivers sighed and turned away from the full-length mirror. “No it wasn’t a  _ date, _ neither of us knew it was a date plus we weren’t dating yet so it couldn’t have been a date.”

Lou sighed and flopped backwards onto Rivers’ bed that she’d been using as a seat. “Pretty sure none of what you just said disqualifies it from being a date.”

“Okay fine, then our first date while knowing we’re dating. That we planned specifically to be a date. Our first one of those. Happy now?”

“Yeah, yeah. And everyone knows it’s not  _ really _ a date until you both sign and thumbprint an official Seal of Dating. A fuckin Date Contract.”

“Ughhhhhh.” Rivers gave up and cast the top she’d been holding up to her body aside, flopping facefirst into the bed alongside Lou. “This is serious…” she moaned, slightly muffled by the bedspread. “I don’t want her to think I’m- ugh. I dunno.”

“A chronic overthinker?” offered Lou. “Violent and irritable? More than a bit of a bitch?”

Rivers raised her face up and scowled. “You sure had those at the ready, huh.”

Lou shrugged. “I mean Dreamy’s smarter than me and I figured all that out, so she definitely has. And I still agreed to a date, so.”

“Yeah. And we all know how great that went.”

“I don’t share your same negative opinions on our failed relationship, you know that.”

“Lou we didn’t talk to each other for an entire season afterwards. It was pretty fucking messy.”

Lou shrugged. “Still better than like 80% of my relationships.”

Rosa raised an eyebrow. “You good, girl?”

“Just joking,” smiled Lou. “Look, sure it was messy, but I had a good time. For most of it.”

“Yeah. Most of it.” Rosa rolled her eyes, doing her best not to re-litigate the events of their season-and-a-half-long doomed romance either internally or externally. Getting your ass dumped at an ‘Oops! We Lost in the First Round of the Playoffs!’ party in full view of your entire team wasn’t something you got over so easily. Rivers sighed and propped herself up on her elbows. “Why’d we ever think it would work, anyway?”

“Uh, cause of the name thing?” said Lou. “But really, like, we’re both super cool and hot? And we like to make fun of the same stuff?”

“Sure. Sure. I guess I’m asking you to gas me up, Lou.”

“Oh! Uh. Hm. You can be pretty funny when you wanna be. You’re caring and you’re not as much of a hardass as you like to pretend you are. Oh and you’re way less clingy than you used to be-”

Lou was interrupted by a pillow smacking her in the head.

“You’re lucky I don’t have my axe is around.”

“See? That’s what I meant by the hardass thing, you pulled your punch. It’s super cute, it looks great on you.” Lou smirked and Rivers groaned in exasperation.

“Fuck it. I’m just gonna pick out my outfit.”

“Go with the blue, I’m telling you!”

“Yeah?” Rivers was back in front of the mirror, holding the spaghetti strap dress up by the hanger. “You don’t think it’s a little… nice?”

“Sure it is but like, have you  _ seen _ Dreamy? You need all the help you can get. Plus, you never wanna be the worst dressed on a ‘first date’. Power move. You always wanna look a little nicer.”

“Okay, I guess… Can I still wear boots?”

“Rosa I don’t think she’d recognize you without boots. Not even joking.”

*******

It had been two days since Rivers had spent the night with Sutton, leaving quietly the next morning with her reassurance of, “It is almost certainly not something wrong with you. Several apologies for everything.” and then slipping out of the hotel before she saw anyone (well, she saw Kennedy Loser, but he’d just waved and she’d waved back and it seemed fine, not like it was fucking  _ Tillman _ or anything). The third Crabs at Firefighters series had started and Rivers had calmly watched from the sidelines, no weirdness beyond the usual. And then: a spillover. A day without games as they waited for a match that had gone past the time limit. And everyone in blaseball knew what a spillover meant.

Date night.

Considering the tight schedule of the regular season, plus the sheer number of A. blaseball relationships that were B. across teams and therefore almost always C. long distance, an unexpected day off was a day to hurriedly plan travel and spend it with as many people you were in a relationship with as you could. Or in this case-

“Double date!! It’s  _ gotta _ be a double date. And it’s  _ gotta _ be karaoke,” Lou had proclaimed. “Eiz can make it, already checked. So you and Dreamy are coming.” And Lou had the look about her that meant there was no arguing the point, so Rivers agreed and texted Dreamy and she was free (did she ever have plans?) and Rivers half out of nervousness floated the idea of just the two of them hanging out beforehand and Dreamy had said yes of course where? almost immediately and Rivers said the first place she could think of.

Which was how Rivers Rosa came to be standing on the lake shore path in her dress and boots, looking out over the waves of Lake Michigan when Dreamy arrived.

“Hello Rivers,” she said.

“Oh! Hey!” Rivers turned over her shoulder to see Sutton walking down the paved path in a loose flannel top over her signature mesh, and skinny jeans. “Oh! You look. Good.”

Sutton nodded. “I thought you would enjoy it considering your usual style. Which it appears you have chosen to forego.”

“Oh, yeah. I uh…” and she struggled for an explanation that wasn’t just ‘misread the tenor of the date’, and settled on “wanted to change it up a little.”

“I see. I have heard people say that variety is spicy. So is this outfit. It suits a you that is different than usual.”

“Thanks… I think. Do you wanna walk?”

“Above all else.”

And they set off down the path and it was day but closer to the end than the beginning and so the sun behind the buildings cast long shadows along their walk. Rivers began to wish she had followed any of her instincts and brought some kind of jacket.

“You are cold,” said Sutton, and it wasn’t a question.

“...Yeah, I am. Is it obvious?”

“No. I can tell.”

“Oh, your dream powers or whatever?”

“Yes. When I call myself an empath Parra laughs and makes fun of me so I do not do it, but I as well do not know a better word to describe it.”

“No, I get it.”

“Would you like my shirt?”

“H- huh??”

“For the cold.”

“D- Dreamy, I can’t do that! Y- you can’t walk around in just a mesh top!!”

“Ah, I see your concern. But I do not feel cold. So it would be fine for me.”

“Well that’s reassuring I guess but that doesn’t change the fact that you can’t just take your shirt off in public!”

“Why? Would you not like it?”

“Th- that isn’t even remotely the issue!” And a certain ripple passed through Sutton’s hair and Rivers realized- “Wait, are you messing with me?”

“Perhaps. A bit. But only a bit.”

“Ugh. You’re worse than Lou.”

“You think so? Are you saying you have a type, Rivers Rosa?”

A seagull cried out from somewhere across a boat.

“You know about that?”

“Yes. Someone told me. I cannot remember who. But at some point someone told me and that is why I know.”

“It was a while ago. It’s whatever.”

“I had not thought it would be anything but whatever. Merely an aspect of your existence, important to me in the way all the others are.”

Rivers turned away slightly to hide her inability to keep a straight face. “Well! Th- then it’s not fair! Because I don’t know anything about your exes, so… so you gotta tell me!”

“Very well. I will give you the list of all the relationships that lasted for sufficient time to be considered an ex.” And Sutton launched into a laundry list of names with a rapidity that made Rivers’ eyes cross a bit, names that crossed all boundaries of team, gender, physical build, and coherence with reality. No way she could remember all of these, but a ‘Parker Parra’ slipped into there did catch her attention. She made a quick mental note to remember that one in case it ever came in useful.

"Patty Fox.” Sutton was wrapping up. “Ren Morin. Jacob Haynes. Malik Destiny, both versions.” She paused for a moment. “And Jaylen Hotdogfingers.”

Rivers raised her eyebrows. “As in, the up-until-recently murdering everyone Jaylen Hotdogfingers?”

Sutton nodded. “It is a long story.”

“I’m sure.”

“I apologize for the length of the list, but-”

“No, no, hey. I asked. Plus uh, it’s not really a big deal, I don’t mind. Just, how did you have time for all that…?”

“None of them lasted for a very long time. In fact, most were quite short. Most ended shortly after it became clear that there were differences in mode of communication that were not easily bridged, if at all.”

“Oh. Well, I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It simply is.”

The path started to turn. Someone jogging passed them from behind. A chill wind blew in and Rivers huddled her arms together reflexively.

“If we walked close together you could stand in my lee and use my body warmth as well.”

“O- oh. Yeah, sounds good.”

And Sutton stepped quickly in front of Rivers to swivel to her other side and Rivers scooched a little closer in until she felt the soft brush of Sutton’s flannel on her skin and then well hey why not go all in? and she fished her hand around until it found another and they locked together, swinging gently with the tempo of their steps as they walked to the soundtrack of the gentle lapping of waves.

They stayed that way until something in Rivers’ head snapped to attention and she realized that way more time had passed than she thought and if they didn’t get going then they would be late. Hell, even if they did get going then they might still be late, given how far they’d walked.

Rivers swore under her breath. “Hey, Dream, how are you with running?”

Dreamy tilted her head slightly to the side. “Rivers. I am on the Crabs. I am excellent at running.”

*******

Rivers and Sutton were sitting on the back of the sofa that surrounded the karaoke booth. Sutton was scouring the book of available songs, unresponsive to all input. Lou and Eiz were doing a duet of some song about nights during the summer and requests to be told more. When Rivers said she’d never seen whatever stupid musical it was from both of them had looked shocked, but she hadn’t seen what the big deal was.

Eizabeth Elliott was sweet and kind. An absolute angel. A cinnamon roll, many would say. Well, Lou would say. Often and to whoever would listen. Rivers had never liked cinnamon rolls, she found them cloying and they gave her a weird pain in the back of her mouth from all the sugar she wasn’t used to.

She sang with her elbows pulled in towards her, microphone mere centimeters from her mouth to catch her tiny voice. Lou, on the other hand, was dancing around wildly, in what might have been choreo from the show for all Rivers knew, but was more likely just Lou being a goof for her girlfriend, who seemed to be greatly enjoying the display. As were the two other guests in the room.

Dreamy and her had arrived just on time, directed to the room that Lou and Eiz were already in. Rivers had said okay let’s just get this over with, but Lou had informed her that they were waiting on two more, at Dreamy’s request. Rivers had just been about to ask who that could be when Parker Parra burst through the door, dragging Kennedy Loser behind them.

“Sorry we’re late!” they had exclaimed, beaming and heading straight for the song book.

“Hope we’re, uh, not intruding or anything,” apologized Kennedy.

“Nah, the room holds six, don’t wanna waste any money,” said Lou.

Rivers had looked to Dreamy for explanation.

“Parra loves karaoke. I could not deny them this.”

“And Loser  _ loves _ to enable me, isn’t that right Ken!”

“Yeah, uh, definitely. For sure.”

“That’s my guy!! All right, let’s get this bitch started!”

Rivers sighed, back in the present, as the song playing wound down and Ken and Parra gave Lou and Eiz a round of applause.

“Hey, uh, Dream. You’re up next. You have a song yet?”

Dreamy shook her head. “I don’t know any of these songs. Can you not go in my stead?”

“I don’t know any of these fucking songs either,” she smiled. “Besides I  _ exclusively _ karaoke if it’s like, death metal or some shit. I don’t sing. I scream.”

“Can you pick for me, then?”

“Oh, uh. Sure.” Rivers looked down at the book but none of the letters really parsed into words at the moment so she pointed at one randomly. “That one.”

“You’re sure?”

“Hundred percent.”

Dreamy nodded and approached the machine. The first notes came out and instantly Rosa knew she had made a terrible mistake. It was the sappiest of the sappy love songs, a slow waltz-time ballad. And Dreamy was singing every note perfectly without wavering, lines about devoted everlasting love that made Rosa scope out the nearest trash can just in case she- oh god Lou was smirking at her  _ so  _ hard, ugh she just wanted to-

And Dreamy hit the climax of the song and gripped the microphone tightly and well, maybe Rosa was tired from the long walk or maybe she was under a lot of stress but something in one of the high sustained notes struck a sympathetic chord in her and she realized she might never again see anything as beautiful as Sutton Dreamy was in that moment, hair glowing faintly in the dark like the star-projecting lamp Rosa could remember having as a kid, in a time long before any of this, a before that she was only now convinced of the possibility of ever existing.

The song ended and everything was silent for a moment. Then Lou let out a long whistle.

“Go off Dreamy!! Hell yeah!!” shouted Parra.

“That was great!” said Ken.

“Really well done,” agreed Eiz.

All Rivers could do was hope she’d soon be consumed by the leather beneath her. Sutton sat down gracefully beside her.

“All right!!” shouted Parra, “My turn again! Ken, get up here!”

And Kennedy had acquiesced and started doing his best to help Parker Parra through a song about making a man out of some undefined subject, as they missed every single note.

“I did not expect,” said Dreamy, under the music so only Rivers could hear, “such a romantic gesture from you. I have seen several facets of you tonight and I thank you for it.”

“Oh, uh. Thanks? I uh- yeah. Mmhmm.” Rosa hoped the colored light wasn’t making the flush on her face any more obvious. “You uh. You did really well.”

“I feel like I made a spectacle of myself.”

Rosa chuckled. “Yeah, but. In a good way. Don’t worry.” She slid a bit across the couch to lay her head across Dreamy’s shoulder, only partly because she missed the feel of flannel. Dreamy turned to look down at Rosa’s head and a bit of her hair brushed across Rosa’s face and it felt like a breeze somehow made slightly more solid and it tickled and Rosa giggled. Dreamy brought a hand around Rosa’s back and rested it on her shoulder.

“I don’t think I’ve ever even told you how pretty you are,” said Rivers.

“You don’t need to. I can feel your affection.”

“Well, let me say it anyway, okay?”

“Okay.”

Rivers moved herself more tightly against Dreamy’s side, eyes cast downwards.

“I love you. ...If you say you already knew I’ll kill you.”

“I love you also. I wouldn’t dream of telling you about how I already knew.”

Rivers squinted up at Dreamy, annoyed. “Are you messing with me again?”

“I’ll never tell.”

And Rivers cast a quick glance around the room and the song showed no signs of ending and Lou and Eiz were watching rapt with mixed schadenfreude and genuine enjoyment and so Rivers found herself with an opportunity to place a hand on Dreamy’s thigh and push herself up just enough to bring their lips together.

Dreamy’s kiss tasted sweet, so sweet Rivers would sure she would start to feel that same classic headache come upon her and maybe the anticipation of that spurred her on as she pressed harder up against Dreamy, taking her arm around the opposite shoulder to hold her in a utilitarian embrace just for the purpose of keeping them both in place long enough for their lips to keep playing against each other. And two of their hands found each other and intertwined and held fast.

The song ended and Rivers managed to turn herself around just in time so that as Parra and Ken turned back around she was only reclining against Dreamy’s impossibly comfortable side. Lou stood up to take her turn. Rivers closed her eyes in the dark room. She let herself sink into a feeling as warm as the one that burned inside of her.

*******

“Rivers. Rivers Rosa. It is time to go.”

“H- huh?” She opened her eyes blearily. Kennedy Loser was at the mic, singing in an absolutely grating falsetto to some classic rock song.

_ “You can be the captain… And I will draw the chart!” _

“Who let him sing…?” she mumbled, just loud enough for everyone but Ken to hear.

Parra smiled. “That would be me. Sorry about that, he was just such a good sport about it I figured I’d let him have one.”

“Last song, Rivers. We’re heading out after this.”

She curled up more tightly against Dreamy’s side. “Don’t wanna. Too comfy. Staying here.”

“Rivers, you can’t stay here all night. First of all, it’s on my tab.”

“Her answer was clear,” said Dreamy. “She intends to stay here. And so I will guard her slumber.”

“Aww!” said Eiz, “you two are so adorable!”

Parker Parra smirked and Lou cocked her head.

“Would it change your mind if I told you it was hot dog night back at the Firehouse?”

Rivers closed her eyes tightly. “I love hotdogs.”

“I know, Rivers,” said Lou.

“Sorry, Dream. Think your watch is ending early tonight.”

“It was an honor and a privilege,” said Dreamy.

“All right then, c’mon. We’re blowing this joint.” She pushed herself off of Dreamy to stand, then pulled her up too.

“Huh?” asked Parra. “What about Loser?”

Rivers shrugged. “I’m not listening to another second of this shit. He’ll catch up.” Parra shrugged and followed them out of the room, followed by a laughing Lou and Eiz.

*******

_ “Closer! To! Your! Heart! Woahhh!!!!!! _ Heck yeah, that was great! Okay, uh, I think they had Tom Sawyer in there, anyone mind if I- uh. Hey, everyone, where’d ya go? Hiding or something? Uh, guys? Guys?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't proofread this one at all sorry if I made any mistakes lol. Hope you enjoyed! Sorry Ken.


End file.
